Ignorance is Risk
July 29th, 2003 by Hal
Just got to read the latest issue of Project @ Work. Bill Duncan, Project Management Partners, authored an op-ed piece titled Ignorance is Risk: What you don't know can hurt you. What you think you know can, too.
Bill is an old hand at project management and a very active participant in the dialog of what to do about our current state. He claims that even the best of the project management texts contain at least one glaring error. In an effort to right that wrong and to adjust our understanding Bill offers what he calls 10 truths about project management.
- Context is king.
- Best practices aren't always.
- Project managers are made, not born.
- Certification does not assure skill.
- Change requests are cause for celebration.
- Variances from plan should be greeted with joy.
- The team should develop the plan.
- The best way to meet your schedule: adequate staffing.
- If you are behind schedule, add staff.
- Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
My quibble with Bill is his axiomatic presentation of his opinions as 'truths', but it is a quibble. I share most, if not all, of his opinions.
My take on Bill's views is he understands better than most people that projects take place in an always uncertain world. To succeed the project manager and team must learn and adjust as they engage with each other and the customer. At the risk of putting words in Bill's mouth, the principle role of the project manager is to anticipate, adjust, and improvise. Sounds right to me.
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