Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson is the founder and chairman of The Standish Group. He has been professionally involved in the computer industry for over 40 years and has a long list of published books, papers, articles and speeches. He has a combination of technical, marketing, and research achievements focused on mission-critical applications and technology. He is best known for his research on project performance and early recognizing technology trends. Jim is a pioneer of modern research techniques and continues to advance in the research industry through case-based analytical technology.
Advice Articles
How skilled is your organization in introducing small changes to improve absorption?
Jim Johnson suggests you understand the reasons of abstinence.
How skilled is your organization at recognizing and overcoming abstinence?
In general, how skilled is your organization at using agile techniques in developing and implementing software.
Jim Johnson reads Agile Conversations: Transform Your Conversations, Transform Your Culture by Douglas Squirrel , Jeffrey Fredrick after Henny Portman’s review.
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is about surviving and even flourishing when things break.
How skilled is your organization at overcoming arrogance?
Atom is defined as the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical element.
First Law is to make it obvious. From his book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
Second Law of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is to make it attractive.
Third Law of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is to make it easy.
Fourth Law of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is to make it satisfying.
How skilled is your organization at attentive listening?
Jim Johnson suggests awareness provides the attachment to the project success and goals.
How skilled is your organization at being aware and making everyone aware of the issues and events of projects?
How skilled is your organization at creating balanced project teams?
How skilled is your organization of getting teammates to be all-in for the team?
We were in the process of doing a review of our “Big, Bang, Boom” research paper on why large projects fail so often.
In an earlier adviceblog, Dan Horsey suggests that there are very clear benefits to doing things in bite-sized chunks.
Would you like to stop the brain drain?
In general, how skilled is your organization at widening the range of learning experiences for members on delivery teams.
Infinite Flow is a non-project-based environment that builds and releases software daily.
How skilled is your organization at optimizing business value?
Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy
Jim Johnson reviews “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy” by Joseph A. Schumpeter.
The cover of The Good Sponsor book is a painting of a ship’s captain.
Jim Johnson suggests after a major event or the end of the project the executive sponsor should hold an event, like a party or dinner out.
The Standish Group suggests that one the easiest and most effective methods of celebrating is through recognition of an accomplishment.
The Standish Group suggests that It's important to celebrate success.
In 2010 we wrote: A fool with a tool is still a fool.
In 2010 we wrote: The #1 Factor of Success was user involvement.
n 2010 we wrote: Swift decisions are typically better than long, drawn-out analysis.
In 2010 we wrote: it does not matter which road everyone comes from if they end up in the same place.
In 2010 we wrote: You will encounter the five deadly Sins in all projects.
CHAOS Law 5: Long-tailed Monster
In 2010 we wrote: You will always build too much of what you don’t need and not enough of what you do need.
In 2010 we wrote: the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
In 2010 we wrote: Your best person will leave at the worst possible time.
In 2010 we wrote: Complexity causes confusion and cost.
In 2010 we wrote: Inaction is the purest form of failure.
How skilled is your organization at creating the right chemistry?
Malcolm Gladwell in his Ted talk titled “Choice Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce” considers how many different kinds of spaghetti sauce makes people happier.
Common Data Structure and Databases
In general, how skilled is your organization at limiting data structures and databases?
How skilled is your organization at creating and maintaining a standard communication platform?
Jim Johnson suggests you establish values and benefits for the organization as motivation to create and maintain a PM community.
How skilled is your organization at keeping things simple?
In general, how skilled is your organization at everyone remaining calm when negotiating?
Do you think you spend too much on managing software projects?
Jim Johnson suggests that all executives should be in the same boat.
Jim Johnson suggests gaining consensus through conversation.
Jim Johnson suggests you stop doing releases.
In general, how skilled is your organization at controlling and limiting technical diversity?
Jim Johnson suggests conversation is the first step in any agile process.
How skilled is your organization at only counting what counts?
Infinite Flow critical success factor is Decision Latency.
Jim Johnson answers the question, “What are the cultural changes needed in implementing Flow?”
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast!
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast! Culture also eats tools for lunch and processes for dinner.
Distribution of decision-making power is the segmentation of decisions based on roles and responsibilities.
A decision pipeline is a method to make decisions quickly and easily by the right people at the right time.
Jim Johnson gives DevOps Handbook 4 out of 5 butterflies.
How skilled is your organization at discernment?
In general, how skilled is your organization at providing a diversity of views and experiences during software development?
How skilled is your organization at the discriminating use project/ portfolio tools and processes?
In an earlier adviceblog, Dan Horsey suggests that bad news does not age well.
In my book, The Public of Execution of Miss Scarlet, the character of Rebecca C. White was modeled after Ellen Hancock.
How skilled is your organization at being empathetic in your Negotiations?
In an earlier adviceblog, Bill Niemi suggested there is a difference between a good executive sponsor and a poor executive sponsor comes down...
In general, how skilled is your organization at creating a level playing field for participants when negotiating?
Jim Johnson suggests that all projects need an evangelist
In our workshops we do not have speakers and attendees. We have guides and explorers.
What are your filters?
Finding a Project Sponsor Mentor (Part 1)
Standish defines a mentor as an experienced and trusted adviser that helps train a colleague.
Finding a Project Sponsor Mentor (Part 2)
Finding a good project sponsor can be hard. This is because the project sponsor is not a permanent full-time job or even title.
Finding a Project Sponsor Mentor (Part 3)
The project sponsor role can be confusing. That is because project sponsor role is much different than a…
Finding a Project Sponsor Mentor (Part 4)
In an earlier PM2GO Blog, Theo van Leest suggests that no sponsorship means a serious challenge to make your project a success.
Jim Johnson suggests the executive sponsor understand the five deadly sins of project management.
Jim Johnson suggests fix it and forget It is the big advantage of no releases.
In general, how skilled is your organization at a fast-paced production flow?
Infinite Flow requires lots of automation.
Jim Johnson answers the question, “Can you use Infinite flow for new apps?”
Jim Johnson answers the question, “Do Flow teams have to be located in one place?”
Jim Johnson answers the question, “What are the main stumbling blocks for those attempting to implement Infinite Flow in their organizations, and how did they overcome them?”
Christine Carter in her Ted Talk Titled “The 1-minute Secret to Forming a New Habit” suggest that forming new habits is hard and often leads to failure.
Jim Johnson suggests fraudulence is an action intended to deceive.
How skilled is your organization at recognizing and preventing fraudulence?
In an earlier adviceblog, Dan Horsey suggests that a diversity of inputs is useful—up to a point.
Jim Johnson suggest you consider adopting Infinite Flow.
Jim Johnson suggests good manners is the starting point of respect.
Jim Johnson reviews Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey.
The Original Valentine Love Story
im Johnson: Twenty-five years ago, I wrote a paper on the research the Seattle Children’s Hospital was doing with AI of medical diagnoses.
Jim Johnson Snow rates “How We Decide” written by Jonah Lehrer 3 out of 5 butterflies.
In the late part of 2014, I met with Ellen Hancock in her home in Connecticut.
Jim Johnson suggests ignorance is the condition of being unaware.
How skilled is your organization at recognizing and overcoming ignorance?
In general, how skilled is your organization at gathering and maintaining information for negotiation.
Jim Johnson suggests the main barrier to awareness is information overload.
In general, how skilled is your organization at quickly integrating software into operations.
Jim Johnson suggests you start your project research with interviews.
Jim Johnson gives “Invention: A Life” by James Dyson 4 out of 5 butterflies.
How skilled is your organization at executing an iterative process?
Jim reviews “The Infinite Game”
Jim reviews “The Infinite Game”
Jim reviews “The Innovator's Dilemma”
Jim reviews “The Innovator's Dilemma”
Jim reviews “The Innovators”
Jim reviews “Think Like a Rocket Scientist”
Jim reviews “Think Like a Rocket Scientist”
Jim reviews “Upstream”
Jim Johnson suggests that every project should have a kill switch.
In an earlier adviceblog, Dan Horsey suggests that your user base and customers should be willing to let go of some of their old practices.
Four-star general Stanley McChrystal shares what he learned about leadership over his decades in the military in this Ted Talk.
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall.
How skilled is your organization at being objective?
Jim Johnson suggests you listen to CHAOS Tuesday Make Your SHIFT: Part 1: http://www.chaostuesday.com/index.php?r=podcast/view&id=106
Jim Johnson suggests you listen to “Make Your SHIFT: Part 2” http://www.chaostuesday.com/index.php?r=podcast/view&id=107
Jim Johnson suggests you listen to “Make Your SHIFT: Part 3” http://www.chaostuesday.com/index.php?r=podcast/view&id=108
Managing Expectations through Infinite Flow
Infinite Flow manages expectation through a close collaboration with the business and technology.
How skilled is your organization at containing the scope of a project?
Jim Johnson suggests that you have access to similar projects to use as role models against the current project.
In general, how skilled is your organization at reducing meetings and meeting time?
How skilled is your organization at providing the proper incentives to motivate project teams?
How skilled is your organization at identifying users with the motive, means, and desire to help?
Jim Johnson suggests that the executive must understand the real needs, not just the expressed needs.
Jim Johnson suggests all power resides and emanates from the executive sponsor whether or not he or she realizes this fact.
Jim Johnson suggests that time is an area of considerable consternation for many executive sponsors.
Would you like to avoid replacing non-participating stakeholders?
Noise Part 1: Only Count Deliverables
There are many features in Principle 1: Only Count Deliverables that reduces noise.
Noise Part 2: Have a Good Sponsor
There are many features in Principle 2: Have a Good Sponsor that reduces noise.
Noise: Part 3: Have a Good Team
There are many features in Principle 3: Have a Good Team that reduces noise.
Noise: Part 4: Have a Good Place
There are many features in Principle 4: Have a Good Place that reduces noise.
Noise: Part 5: Always Promote Antifragility
There are many features in Principle 5: Always Promote Antifragility that reduces noise.
Jim Johnson answers the question, “Does the Infinite Flow team support only one application?”
How skilled is your organization at creating and maintaining an optimal team that is the right size and includes the right skills and diversity?
Shadow IT is the use of IT-related hardware or software by a department or individual without the knowledge of the IT or security group within the organization.
The Infinite Flow Methodology moves Shadow IT from the sidelines onto the professional playing field.
Shadow IT systems have been found to be an important source of innovation.
It is very common for departments and business units to hire IT engineers and purchase or even develop software themselves, without the knowledge, buy-in...
The IT Central Authority can and is often a source of frustration for individual business units, executives, stakeholders, managers, and users.
How skilled is your organization at recognizing and dealing with overambition?
In an earlier adviceblog, Bill Niemi said, “At Fidelity, the executive sponsor would have a delegate who would run the weekly team meetings and...
We often react to a situation and make things worse.
Step 2 is gaining a better understanding.
Step 3: is to define the problem.
Step 4 is Offer Your Best Solution.
In summary, the book is useful for minor interpersonal disputes...
The Standish Group predicts Infinite Flow will take hold in replacing “projects” as a method of software development.
Prediction #2: Healthcare Research Convergence
The Standish Group predicts that the major employment and investment opportunities for 2021 reside in the convergence between three distinct areas: healthcare research, data science, and artificial intelligence.
The Standish Group predicts the breakthrough consumer products for 2021 will feature the development of Personal Transportation Devices (PTDs).
Principle #1: Deliverables Only Count
Principle #1: Deliverables Only Count means that there is a daily delivery and the daily task is the only measurement.
Principle #2: Have a Good Sponsor
Principle #2: Have a Good Sponsor to ensure the daily deliverable are both valuable and customer satisfied.
Principle #3: Have a Good Team
Principle #3: Have a Good Team to ensure the focus on the present tasks.
Principle #4: Have a Good Place to Work
Principle #4: Have a Good Place to Work is essential for good outcomes.
Principle #5: Always Promote Antifragility
Principle #5: Always Promote Antifragility is the ability to make mistakes and learn from the mistakes.
How skilled your organization at discovering and dealing with a project saboteur?
A quick decision in the context of project management is the smallest possible time frame to make a decision.
Jim Johnson suggests you quickly get the facts.
Consensus is a general agreement or an accord, indicating harmony regarding the project's direction and other decisions.
How skilled is your organization in producing requirements that meets the needs of the user?
In an earlier adviceblog, Bill Niemi related a story, “The financial data architecture project kicked off with the executive sponsor...
Decision latency is the root cause of project stress, delays, and failures.
Jim Johnson suggests you consider how WebEx develops and releases software.
Jim Johnson suggests you require participation.
Jim Johnson suggestions that ideas and recommendations that come out of a retrospective must be able to be implemented by the team.
How skilled is your organization at making sure that everyone has the same understanding of a project's business objectives?
Jim Johnson suggests you select an evangelist and then engage him or her as an evangelist and/or primary user representative.
How skilled is your organization at obtaining and sharing the facts?
Infinite Flow encompasses configuration management as part of the daily deliverables.
How skilled is your organization at using social media products and concepts to manage, collaborate, and communicate project information and activities?
Standard Development Environment
In general, how skilled is your organization at having a standard development environment?
Standard Operating Infrastructure
In general, how skilled is your organization at having a standard operating infrastructure?
How skilled is your organization at correctly identifying the right subject matter expertise?
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People...
Jim Johnson reads Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow By Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais after Henny Portman’s review.
In an earlier adviceblog, Bill Neimi said, “The executive sponsors are always creating tension between the...
As a business leader you need to bring software closer to your operation, please read my latest Café CHAOS blog: The Elephant and the 1,000 Mice https://www.standishgroup.com/blog/post/view/id/102
Jim Johnson suggests use feedback to tests your objectivity.
Would you like your own Infinite Flow team?
Do you think you spend too much time on risks?
Infinite Flow should be focused on the business.
Jim Johnson suggests the project manager needs to be a good leader.
The Little Pie Chart that Could
I presented a little pie chart on the percentage of features and functions that were actually used. http://blog.standishgroup.com/post/62
Jim Johnson reviews The Worry-Free Mind, Train Your Brain, Calm the Stress Spin Cycle, and Discover a Happier, More Productive You by Carol Kershaw EdD, Bill Wade PhD.
Jim Johnson reviews Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making by Randall Bartlett.
In an earlier adviceblog, Bill Niemi said, “It is a really interesting contrast between the three CFOs who oversaw the financial data architecture (FDA) project at Fidelity.
Jim Johnson suggests you consider the use of time boxing,
Jim Johnson suggests that stakeholders need to give feedback on a timely basis.
How skilled are your organization at managing and collaborating on trade-offs?
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization...
David Logan in his Ted talk titled “Tribal Leadership” is a very brief discussion based on his book “Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization”.
Jim Johnson suggests you tune in with empathy.
Turn Enemies into Allies: The Art of Peace in the Workplace is...
Jim Johnson reviews “Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success” by Gary Vaynerchuk.
Jim Johnson reviews “Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty “written by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe.
How skilled is your organization at developing and maintaining a common vocabulary?
Jim Johnson answers the question, “How hard is it to go from Waterfall to Flow?”
Jim Johnson comments on Adam Smith’s classic “Wealth of Nations”.
What is a Good Project Sponsor?
In the 2005, one of our members from a large insurance company in the Northwest of the United States asked us “We understand that having a good sponsor is a major factor of success, but what defines a good sponsor?”
Will It Fly? How to Test Your Next Business Idea...
There is always a trade-off with using consultants for software projects.
In our research paper titled “Money Pit: The True Cost of a Project” we compared two projects that were exactly the same...
A few years ago, we profiled the New York City Automated Payroll (NYCAP) System.
The Federal Government funded and promoted a nationwide SACWIC program.
Over the years, The Standish Group has reviewed many of registry of the motor vehicle (RMV) projects across the globe.
We asked our members “In moving from in-person meeting to virtual meetings using such tools as Zoom, WebEx, and MS Teams are you seeing more or less people attending professional virtual meetings”.
We asked our members “After the pandemic is over are you more or less likely to go back to in-person professional and business group meetings?”
The third question we asked our members, “After the pandemic is over and if offered are you more or less likely to attend virtual professional and business group meetings?”
The fourth question we asked our members, “After the pandemic is over and if hybrid meetings (virtual and in-person) are offered what amount of times would you choose going to a virtual professional and business meeting over an in-person meeting?”
In summary, if you are going to have....
