Text Box: Project Management Mythology Myth of the Month: The Myth Formal project management (e.g. PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge) is too rigid and inflexible of a process and cannot work in our organization for the types of projects we do. It is too paperwork intensive, procedurally constraining and time consuming to follow such a structured system. The Flaw Project management is intended to provide a disciplined approach to managing projects. The dependence on documentation is purposeful as without a plan and process to implement the plan that is written, formal, approved and bought into, the likelihood for meeting stakeholder expectations is very doubtful. Rigidity can be misunderstood in two ways. First the system can be misapplied. The complexity of the project should dictate the sophistication of the project plan and the level of detail. The project management process is intended to be flexible to the meet the needs of the specific project and organization. However, there are still essential elements that must be preserved in order to fulfill its benefits. Second, the response to the supposed rigidity can be based on a cultural issue. As project management is a process for assigning, managing and enforcing accountability, it often runs counter culture to some organizations and therefore may be dismissed as a viable methodology. The Implications The statistics speak for themselves. The percentage of failed projects is staggering, running over 50% in some industries. There are many contributing factors to this alarming statistic but inadequate planning is the predominant factor. Without the benefit of a structured, disciplined process such as project management to guide a company’s critical business initiatives, the default approach becomes something intuitive or home grown. Technical experts are often given the responsibility for managing a project without adequate training. And the predictable path is a focus on their area of knowledge and a lack of integration of all the deliverables and activities required to fulfill the project scope. Activities become reactionary in nature and the whole endeavor will predictably spiral out of control in into trouble. Apogee Management Group LLC PO Box 1298 Portsmouth, NH 03802 Phone: 603-431-4764 Email: rcimini@Apogeemg.com

Back To Top

Apogee Management Group

Engineering Project Leadership