Comments on: Breakdown-Tolerance: Is it Time to Act? http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/09/21/236/ The magazine for the project age Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:31:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: David Schmaltz http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/09/21/236/#comment-69 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/09/21/236/#comment-69 ...mechanism of last resort, after all of our due diligence and higher-level regulators have failed. If we get a lot of breakdowns, we're probably under-utilizing higher-level regulators. If we get no breakdowns, it's not necessarily evidence of good higher-level regulators. Classic project management could avoid breakdowns by over-resourcing, bringing the effort in on an inflated time line and budget projection and calling that success. No breakdowns might indicate a trivial undertaking, overly engineered high-level regulators, or luck. Many who achieve no breakdowns consider it evidence of greater intelligence or skill. Could be that, too, I guess, or a better quality prescription drug than I'm using. david …mechanism of last resort, after all of our due diligence and higher-level regulators have failed. If we get a lot of breakdowns, we’re probably under-utilizing higher-level regulators. If we get no breakdowns, it’s not necessarily evidence of good higher-level regulators. Classic project management could avoid breakdowns by over-resourcing, bringing the effort in on an inflated time line and budget projection and calling that success. No breakdowns might indicate a trivial undertaking, overly engineered high-level regulators, or luck. Many who achieve no breakdowns consider it evidence of greater intelligence or skill. Could be that, too, I guess, or a better quality prescription drug than I’m using. david

]]> by: http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/09/21/236/#comment-70 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2003/09/21/236/#comment-70 Wow, I am not sure what to conclude for yours and Mr. Schmaltz's comments. Is it appropriate to assume that the Project team has reached a level of trust that they believe the commitments that have been made? Is it also fair to assume that each member of the Project team understands the Theory of Constraints, Lean Construction, Customer expectations, and scope of work? I agree with Mr. Schmaltz that if there is enough time and money the Team may conclude that their success was the result of brilliant execution. But for the most part, regardless of the success, Management will conclude it was because of Luck, enough money and a tolerant Customer, i.e. they will not use the Project as a model for a competitive advantage on the next proposal. But I am deviating. I would like to know each of your opinions about breakdown tolerant vs. the famous 80-20 rule. And then please contrast that against the belief that the Devil is in the Details. The Project Manager cannot be construed, in my opinion, as a pessimist. So how do you promote the concept of breakdown tolerant, making/keeping commitments and still be perceived as an optimistic cheerleader? Gary Kuhn Wow, I am not sure what to conclude for yours and Mr. Schmaltz’s comments. Is it appropriate to assume that the Project team has reached a level of trust that they believe the commitments that have been made? Is it also fair to assume that each member of the Project team understands the Theory of Constraints, Lean Construction, Customer expectations, and scope of work?

I agree with Mr. Schmaltz that if there is enough time and money the Team may conclude that their success was the result of brilliant execution. But for the most part, regardless of the success, Management will conclude it was because of Luck, enough money and a tolerant Customer, i.e. they will not use the Project as a model for a competitive advantage on the next proposal.

But I am deviating. I would like to know each of your opinions about breakdown tolerant vs. the famous 80-20 rule. And then please contrast that against the belief that the Devil is in the Details. The Project Manager cannot be construed, in my opinion, as a pessimist. So how do you promote the concept of breakdown tolerant, making/keeping commitments and still be perceived as an optimistic cheerleader?

Gary Kuhn

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