Have you ever been somewhere following directions?
Have you ever been somewhere using a map?
Which was easier?
At the weekend I went to a friend's wedding. I was struck that the directions were like a plan. "Turn left onto the A50, turn right after 1 mile." What happens if you miss a turn or you hit a traffic jam?
As it was, I had bought an option in the form of a road atlas. Even if the planned route was blocked, we could find another route using the map.
I was struck that any two points on the map are linked by a huge number of different routes. There were lots of options.
Waterfall project management builds a plan. The single most likely way to get from A to B. They focus on this one route to the exclusion of all other routes. But what happens when we miss our turn or hit the traffic jam?
Agile project managers should be aware of the alternatives and prevent the project from focusing on a single route.
APMs should draw maps rather than give a list of directions.
I appreciate there is often a cost associated with having more than one option. The options are a risk management tool. Project managers should pay for the options to address risks on their projects.
Posted by chrismatts at November 3, 2003 1:07 PMI've always thought that a good agile metaphor was sailing across the oceans to a faraway land.
You've got to go with the wind and the current and not fight against them if you're not to waste energy and risk losing the ship.
It's often very important to maintain the momentum on the journey.
It's a shame that all that seafairing knowledge has been lost, perhaps it should be resurrected for as the ultimate management leading course.
I've always thought that a good agile metaphor was sailing across the oceans to a faraway land.
You've got to go with the wind and the current and not fight against them if you're not to waste energy and risk losing the ship.
It's often very important to maintain the momentum on the journey.
It's a shame that all that seafairing knowledge has been lost, perhaps it should be resurrected for as the ultimate management leading course.
If you remove all variability, you remove all opportunity.
Posted by: Darrell at November 4, 2003 3:48 AM