3rd week part II

Went for the team event last week and it was fun, thought this is the normal thing teams do here every month ;-) but that was not the case. Its just that I was lucky to be here at the right time :-D
Well, it was fun, met some more people in the team and realized how much team managers take care of their teams here. They were planning fun activities to be done in the weekly status meeting lol (ye I know what you are thinking - when do they take status) - I wish I knew.

Met some one from West here and I just went crazy looking at him, it was like meeting some one from the family here :D Well we discussed that how people work here and how much time do they waste walking around from building to building for 1 meeting :-o

TTV in East: Some of us got TVs in the floor cafetaria here with all the channels except for some "bad" channels ;-) So, now people are taking longer lunch and coffee breaks and hey I am enjoying it too. The cricket league started in India just last week and TTV is showing it LIVE wow!!! So, just imagine how many times I am going to get water and then coffeem then lunch, then just pass around blah blah blah. I am sure in next 1 month most of the people here on my floor will learn cricket

Selling PPQA in east: Do you know the selling point of ppqa in this part of the world was - telling east ppl that west ppl are using it and are really happy with the results lol. So, guess what most of them think that I should be a champion ye right :-( But, these people take ppqa more seriously than most of us and REALLY spend time creating documents... whatever ...

Ist Status meeting for project: Had my first weekly meeting today. Now, first tell me one thing. How a person is suppose to have weekly status meeting with net meeting.
It felt as if I am repeasting my self and wasting papers by taking all the print outs, not many BSAs here are use to of creating task list. They just want PMs to know if they can complete the build or deliverables or whatever by the end date and other than that nothing. Guess what - I am changing it and they are disliking it ;-)

OK rest later...
NEXT: Some photos

3rd week in Toronto

So, I completed 3 weeks in the new team and not so new place. I know most of you are looking forward to read about professional front of East vs. West. So, here you go:
1. The engagement process in Toronto works better than in Vancouver mainly because responsibilities are defined here.
a. Team Manager – major key player in terms of budget and relation with business
b. BSA – Delivery of all deliverables and updating status. A PM here does not normally go and talk to developer for any update
c. Project Manger – Just look after weekly updates, raise flags, and make sure process are followed.
d. Other teams:
i. Release Management and QA looks after the environment, UAT, and Product testing along with data set up
ii. Release management and QA work together to make sure that QA is available for the project else the RM- QA team makes the call to delay the project
e. Solution architect – SA is not the key player in this part of the world but Business normally comes to a team manager who then assigns a lead BSA and PM to the project. The lead BSA looks after the complete scope along with SA. In other words, SA is not like the SAs on west side, the SAs here rely on BSAs to gather information regarding changes made.

Personal (but not so)

Toronto vs. Vancouver

Ist week update:

Coming back to Toronto felt like coming back to India. No, it was not the back to home feeling but it was more to do with - pollution, dust, and lots of people. I realized just now that most of the areas here have some problems in short there is a main and hasting here in every corner of the city.

2nd week update:
I am still washing my hands and face at least 6-7 times a day just like I do in India when I go there :-( Hmm may be its more to do with the travelling here. I am taking pubic transport (TTC) everyday to come to work. But, hey went to down town this weekend and it was fun. After all thats one of the many reasons for me to come here - weekend life, friends, and fun :-D

Completion of 1st week - Professional

Here is my experience so far in TO (for your eyes only)

Difference in Professional World

My 1st update on "East vs. West" PM role, some good points regarding admin work:
1. Only 1 status report is created here that also online in PPM :-o ye PPM is not only a resource management tool but also a status reporting tool
2. No SAP report extracts, an assistant (some one like Helen) creates the SAP extract and send it to you every week.
3. A weekly team meeting to review the status report with Team Manager, she then takes it forward to the Director / VP
4. eroom and PPM are created by the assistant along with the empty folders for various gates / documents.
5. erooms are managed by the same assistant or the lead BSA :-o

More +ves
1. Team Managers are responsible for the delivery. So, PM just talk to BSAs
2. Funds and Business requirements handled by Team Manager. So, PM just concentrates on the delivery
3. QA Lead looks after the QA process - deliverables, resources, and testing :-p

-ve points:
1. I don’t think these people have big huge projects :-(
2. No complications till now :-p it becomes boring

What should I call these - good or bad ???
1. Team Manager meets one on one bi-weekly :-o
2. Team Manager really checks your tailor and waiver
3. Team Manager ask the reason for variance every week in weekly meeting
4. PM Community of Practise is a mandatory session :-(
5. Team Manager attends the delivery review with you and discuss DR presentation :-p