Jer
When PMing Turns into Babysitting
The client wanted me to communicate with everyone what had happened. What went down was a slow-motion train wreck in 4k.
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ASTUTELY OBTUSE
Snark, insight, and strong language
Welcome to Astutely Obtuse, a site dedicated to discussing the obvious in a snarky way. The business world and project management aren't the optimistic utopia often expressed by colleges and instructors with certification bodies. Astutely Obtuse is our way of discussing what happens when things go to absolute shit.
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Jer
Nov 208 min read
Why Your Project Team Sucks: Your Organization Loves to Hurt those who Help
Finding the right template takes time. Why would you put in the effort if you’re just going to get hit with directors in full riot gear?
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Josh
Jun 107 min read
The Not So Quiet Genius of Herb Wasserman
Herb recognized that clients are “snot-sucking bastards with the IQ of lumpy fucking gravy.”
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Jer
May 206 min read
Why Your Project Team Sucks: Your Stand-Ups are Alive, with the Sound of Jargon
Prioritization by categorization probably isn’t going anywhere.
2 comments
Josh
Aug 21, 202312 min read
Case Studies | The Toxicity of the Shitty
Is that fucking toddler being enabled by the CEO? Are the people being promoted incapable of saying no?
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Josh
Aug 14, 20237 min read
Gaps, Bridges, Just-The-Tip, and New Kinks: Why Only Going Half-Way Will Fuck You
My first question was why an organization would just try to recreate the shitty manual process
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Astutely Obtuse Staff Writer
Apr 24, 20237 min read
Beyond Agile: Part 3 | Introducing the Theatre Model
A few years ago, I was introduced to a novel methodology called the Studio Model. It’s a true work of genius and is a fantastic place...
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Astutely Obtuse Staff Writer
Apr 17, 202310 min read
Beyond Agile: Part 2 | The PMO: Definition of a Diva
Now that we’ve discussed some of the key and support players in a PMO, it’s time to start to define what players you need when you are...
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Astutely Obtuse Staff Writer
Apr 10, 202313 min read
Beyond Agile: Part 1 | Slow Your Roles
The very first thing we need to discuss here is one regarding what roles are important to fill when forming a new project team. We are...
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Astutely Obtuse Staff Writer
Apr 3, 20233 min read
Beyond Agile: Part 0 | Before We Start
I would like to register a complaint with the Department of Standardization of Business Best Practices, Pomposity, and Cursed Fro-Yo...
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Jer
Mar 16, 20239 min read
Your Project Teams Sucks: Part 7 | Your Processes are Bad, and You Should Feel Bad
If a process is so loosely defined that I can make a valid argument that something isn’t my job, even if it is, you have a problem.
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Jer
Mar 13, 20236 min read
Your Project Teams Sucks: Part 6 | You Follow the Philosophy of an Aging Rock-Star
How does an octogenarian piece of shit fit in with your project team sucking?
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Astutely Obtuse Readers
Mar 6, 20238 min read
Tales From the Fringe: He Didn't Just Say What I Think He Did, Did He Edition
We asked various project professionals to share their horror stories. We asked, “what is a time a client said something that left you...
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Jer
Feb 19, 20238 min read
Your Project Team Sucks: Part 5 | The Perfect Hire: Listen All Y’all It’s Self-Sabotage
They don’t actually care about your experience, they just use it as shorthand for “doesn’t need instruction.”
3 comments
Jer
Feb 8, 20237 min read
Why Your Project Team Sucks: Part 4 The Whirlwind Romance with Tech-Debt
I told our PM that if we don’t do it the right way now, we’ll never get around to it. It’s just how we work, tech-debt is never revisited.
1 comment
Jer
Feb 2, 20236 min read
Why Your Product Team Sucks: Part 3, Everything is an Emergency-Top Priority
“If everything is an emergency top priority, then nothing is an emergency top priority.”
Sound familiar?
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Josh
Jan 28, 20234 min read
Cordially Combative: Dealing with a Client Who Thinks They are the Main Character
It goes way beyond being passive-aggressive. It’s just aggressive; aggressive wrapped up in a delightful Disney Princess voice.
1 comment
Jer
Jan 25, 20236 min read
Why Your Project Team Sucks: Part 2 Your Product Owner is Secretly Detective Colombo
He wasn’t paying attention during the planning phase because he was thinking about quitting.
2 comments
Josh
Jan 24, 20235 min read
Strategic Misrepresentation or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Lie
I say pizza shouldn't be on fire, but, you say, it's better than it showing up raw, frozen, or not at all!
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Jer
Jan 16, 20238 min read
Why Your Project Team Sucks: Part 1 The Trust Gap
There’s a line in the email that stands out that leaves me distressed: “I can’t seem to get the developers to do what I want them to do."
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