Comments are closed.
Of security blankets and crutches
March 10th, 2005
If you want to start a fight (or at least a heated argument) amongst a group of project managers, the best way is to gather them at a bar and utter the statement “I think methodology X sucks / blows chunks / is the greatest development in the field of project management since the invention of the Gantt chart (delete as applicable)“.
Then stand back to admire the chaos you’ve just caused.
There’s a similar debate (albeit much more civilised than a bar brawl) going on in the Ecademy Project Management Community forums at the moment - there are advocates and detractors of Prince, those that see methodologies as fundamentally flawed, and every shade of opinion in between.
The discussions got me thinking. The fundamental problem with methodologies is that they’re not always applicable all the time. And the decision process about which parts of which methodology to use at which time is pretty much intangible - it’s something that comes with experience rather than training.
The temptation when you’re an inexperienced project manager - or an experienced one operating beyond your comfort zone - is to use a methodology like a cross between a crutch and a security blanket. If outcomes are looking dodgy, a methodology can be a great process to lean on. And if you’re made uncomfortable by the environment or the stakeholders, you can bury yourself in the familiar rituals of the process to block out the nasty, uncertain world outside.
And if you’re not a project manager, then the temptation to put misplaced faith in a methodology is even greater. It’s a part of the human condition to crave certainty, so if a methodology is presented to you as a sure-fire way of guaranteeing an outcome - and you’re blinded by the flashing lights and jargon - it’s understandable if you put your faith in it.
That’s not to say that methodologies are fundamentally flawed, just that they’re a tool. As the old saying goes, if all you’ve got is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Now if only there was a methodology for working out which parts of the methodology to use…
Filed under Project Management |One Response to “Of security blankets and crutches”
Excellent point. Actually running a project or programs comprised of several projects to a successful conclusion gives you unshakeable confidence, if you survive.
I always like PERT Charts for setting up long-term projects, but they were impossible to maintain. Gantt charts were easier to manage and communicated well to management.