Project managers (PMs) often complain that they are continually being surprised by the unexpected. A common gripe: "If I had known about the situation even a month ago, the whole thing could have easily been resolved. Now, my only options are bad and worse. Why doesn't anyone ever tell me about these things when I can do something about them?"

Change control boards (CCBs), a recommended traditional project management practice, should really be labeled change resistance boards. Forms are filled out, approvals are made, and then periodically the CCB meets to review a long list of changes.

At least once a year, I find myself being bombarded by a new IT buzzword that makes no sense to me -- or one that seems far less exciting and revolutionary than the media hype would have us believe. The buzzword I'm struggling with at the moment is Microsoft's ".NET" initiative.

At least once a year, I find myself being bombarded by a new IT buzzword that makes no sense to me -- or one that seems far less exciting and revolutionary than the media hype would have us believe. The buzzword I'm struggling with at the moment is Microsoft's ".NET" initiative.

Conferences, trade journals, and the Internet provide valuable information on vendor products and services. I always find it interesting, however, that many vendors believe their marketing hype is more highly valued than a good reference from a client or customer who has used their product or service. It is not. Customers provide you with the real story.

I've been involved in a dozen discussions in the past two months on the nature of e-business. In some cases, I've talked with non-IS people, and the discussion often revolves around the failure of the dot.coms and what that means about the future of e-business. The other conversations have been with IS folks and those conversations are, in many ways, more interesting to me.

"It only happens with pistachio ice cream," the exasperated man explained. "The car starts fine when I buy vanilla or chocolate ice cream, but it never starts when I buy pistachio."

"It only happens with pistachio ice cream," the exasperated man explained. "The car starts fine when I buy vanilla or chocolate ice cream, but it never starts when I buy pistachio."

The analysis of the desirability of outsourcing usually follows an approach similar to the phased approach for developing information systems.

The analysis of the desirability of outsourcing usually follows an approach similar to the phased approach for developing information systems.