Quality Management | Project Management Fundamentals

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a phrase you're probably familiar with.
One of the challenging things that we face as project managers is there are a lot of "beholders" who will judge the beauty of the products you produce with your project.
Beauty, in the language of projects, is the quality of what you produce.

Let's say someone came up to you and said, "I'd like you to make me a high-quality hamburger.
Although that may seem to be a straightforward request, it's a bit more obscure than you might think.
What is high-quality? Is it a very fine version of beef, a large size, a burger with lots of toppings, all of the above? An understanding of what, actually, is quality is needed.

"How do I look" can be a dreadful and scary question to hear.
Should I be honest? Or should I say something encouraging? It can vary, based on the questioner and your relationship with them.
However, we often ask that question of ourselves, like when we look in the mirror before heading to work or to a significant dinner engagement.
 
 

When I think of quality initiatives in the world of projects a quote often enters my head.
I have a vivid picture of a scene from the original version of the Karate Kid.
With Mr.
 

Imagine you are driving and, suddenly, your car comes to a complete stop.
You push it off the road, and you call a tow truck to get you going again.
Imagine you're doing this and the truck shows up quickly, but the driver has no tools to repair your vehicle.
 

In certain situations, the tendencies of people are often quite predictable.
I see this predictable behavior when asking enthusiastic clients for project requirements.
All sorts of ideas surface, and that can be quite good, but also a bit challenging.

The role of the project manager often requires you to take on something that resembles multiple personalities.
Sometimes you're a team leader, sometimes a schedule analyst, looking for a way to shorten your project duration, and at other times you're a counselor for your clients.
There is another role you take on when serving as a project manager.
 

So, you have been working feverishly on getting your project completed.
You're tired and your team is tired, but determined to see things through.
As you approach the final days of your project, you set up a meeting to show off your finished product.
 
 
 

It's an age old debate, the benefits of perfectionism in contrast with an, "It's good enough," attitude.
In the world of projects, this is no different.
Creating a product that is the best reflection of your objectives is a great goal.

-" Hey, I have an idea!" can be one of the best things or one of the worst things you can hear as a project manager.
In many cases, those enthusiastic ideas mean a scope-change proposal is on its way to your desk.
Those can be good and positively contribute to project outcomes for the business, or they can be distractions and create cumbersome scope creep.
 
 

I love to cook, especially when we're having guests over for dinner.
I enjoy the simplicity of sharing a meal together with friends, and when people enjoy what I've prepared, the experience is that much better.
I've brought a smile to someone's face, and that's very meaningful to me.
 
 

On occasion, I find shopping at a grocery store a bit confusing.
I just want laundry detergent but I have to work through various varieties and styles, and pick one to take home.
In a way, software testing can be like that.

Testing software reminds me of working on a jigsaw puzzle.
There are different ways of approaching it, but essentially you use certain elements, like color, patterns, or the edge pieces to get you started.
You then work with what you have in each area to piece things together.
 

I have one very important tool I use all the time to keep organized, my To-Do List.
With owning a business, and serving as a consulting Program Manager, I would be totally lost if I did not write down the things I need to do to keep it all running smoothly.
If you go through your software testing processes and don't write down what you're testing, what the results were, and the conditions of the test, you're running around without your To-Do List for your software quality efforts.
 

I'm afraid that sometimes I believe in Murphy's Law.
If something can go wrong, it will.
Sometimes, I think that Murphy guy has relatives and they all find their way to your project when you are testing and hoping for correct results.
 
 

Testing is one area where tools can be extremely valuable.
There are many different types of testing tools available.
The team size and complexity of your product will determine the tools required.