Posts from — October 2006

So, after nearly ten months I finally get to deliver my talk on project risk management to the Bristol BCS branch.

The story started back in February when my mate John Seaman asked whether I fancied giving a talk to his BCS branch.

“Yeah, sure I would!” I said.

“What do you want to speak on?” said John.

“Well, I would really like to give a talk on project risk management” I said. Only I hadn’t really thought about what I’d be saying. I figured I had nine months to figure it out.

Nine months later and with one successful session completed last week it was time to give the talk I always wanted to give.  The one that I used to give when I worked in the programme office.  The one that I still give to junior project managers and to members of all my project teams.

The talk goes down really well.  The audience like the material and in the Q&A session that follows the questions just keep on coming.  Best of all I get asked if I’d like to give the talk again to the BCS Spring School.  I’m really knocked out by the result, it’s the sort of evening that makes this business worthwhile.

Finally, after weeks on preparation, I got to deliver my new talk on project risk management.

The audience?  A group of third year undergraduates at London Metropolitan University.  It’s the third year in a row that I’ve spoken at LondonMet and each time my talks have gone down well.  Usually I speak on some aspect of usability, but this year I wanted to cover that I think gets overlooked in the education of the next generation of computing professionals.

The talk went very well, judging from the comments on the day and from the evaluation frms that the students completed.  Next week I get to give it again, but to members of a BCS branch.  I wonder if I’ll get the same positive reaction?

I’ll just have to wait and see.