 Reforming Project Management |
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Story-Telling Prepares for Uncertainty
Just give me the facts. Have you said that? I have. What is this about?
We operate with the illusion that we can be objective. Illusion? Yes. I've often heard people say, "If two people have the same facts they will agree." This is absolutely not true. We have hung juries to prove that. So, why do we continue to cling to this illusion of objectivity on our projects? Our attachment to facts is associated with our predisposition on projects to operate in a predictive deterministic mode. We (falsely) think that with enough facts to do our planning we will put the right plans in place. In so doing we can determine exactly what must be done to succeed. After that it's just execution. A focus on the facts misses what is most-valued on projects. What is that? It is the informed and seasoned judgement (opinions) that give rise to course-correcting or adjusting actions. Of course, we want to ground those assessments in facts. However, waiting for the facts can keep us from taking action at a time that will make the most difference to the project results. We value the seasoned professionals not for what they know, but for their uncanniness -- that ability to make those course-correcting assessments based only on their inklings. We must face the facticity of projects: we don't have facts about the future. Projects are always about the future. In the face of project uncertainty story-telling gives confidence to teams as they go about their opinion-making. Project tools have not been designed for story-telling. The usual tools collect schedule data, cost data, resource data, contract data, and customer requirements. Schedules, budgets, plans, contracts, and requirements are at best intentions for the future. Unfortunately, we treat them as what must happen. In the face of an uncertain and unknowable future we need something else. Teams need a basis for opinion-making, for context, and for team alignment. The p-log provides the team with a mechanism for making sense...for building confidence...and for staying in charge. How? Stay tuned. BTW, the pundits are speaking about Google|Blogger and the business use of weblogs. Here's the latest: Puzzling Out Google's Blogger Acquisition by Chris Sherman. Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Project Weblogs Going Mainstream
Over the weekend PM World Today ran a lead story Project Weblogs by Rainer Volz in the Feb/Mar issue. They also picked up the p-log postings Tools for Business and P-Logs for Project Teams in Reforming Project Management. What's the significance? PM Forum is a highly visited independent project management website. While they don't see themselves as an alternative to the mainstream PMI, they are willing to write about what is occurring at the fringe of the practice of project management.
Take a look at the article. The author describes three characteristics of weblogs that make them suitable for project teams:
BTW, Google purchased Pyra Labs, the Blogger company. This occurs at the same time that AOL is expected to launch a blogging service for their members. What is this craze about? I'm sure we'll be reading the pundits' views any day now. In the meantime, I'll offer my out-of-the-loop view.
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