Josh at PMStudent asked a question if there is "One True Way" to manage projects?
The answer of course is a resounding
Yes, there is only one TRUE way to manage projects
The project manager must be capable of managing the project with a method that "informs" all interested parties about:
- When is the project forecast to be complete and what is the confidence on this date.
- What will project cost in the end and what is the confidence on this value.
- What the impediments are there to reaching the end of the project on or near the planned date, and on or near the planned cost, and more or less with the capabilities needed by the “customer.”
- What resources do we needed to get to all three of those “ends.”
- What are the units of measure that can be used to describe the progress to plan that is being made and if that progress will result in “happiness” on or near the end of the project.
None of the PM 2.0 “sellers” speak about projects and project management in these terms, they only speak about the features and functions of their products and what wonderful outcomes will result. No units of measure for those outcomes BTW. You know, things like confidence intervals on cost and schedule improvements, increasing probability of success, estimates at completion. Boring project management metrics.
All TRUE project management methods from XP to Scrum to Crystal for software development – to full DoD 5000.02 IMP/IMS with workpackage level weekly earned value – all speak in these 5 (and more) terms.
Successful project management has very little to do with the tools. If those 5 (and possibly more) processes are not there, no PM X.0 process is gonna save your butt.
So in the end there is only one TRUE way – it's called Project Management, not PM 1.0, 2.0, X.Y.
The Greeks knew how to manage projects this way, the Egyptians did too, all the way to our manned space flight program.
The tools have changed over time, the principles of successful project management have not.
