There are many analogies for project and program management. Orchestras, jazz groups.
My favorite is college football, for many reasons.
- We live in a college town, with a Big 12 going to Pac 10 football team
- One of our children goes to CU (University of Colorado, Boulder)
- The Buffs have a long history, some times good some times bad.
- The Buffs have the best mascot every - a live Buffalo. Ralphie - pictured above gets to run around the field before kick off and before the 2nd half.
But project management is like football because:
- Football has multiple layers of management.
- Football has highly organized playbooks.
- Football has specialist and generalist all on the field at the same time.
- Football is chaos on the field, when the play is broken.
- Each has a specific job, but that job is expanded to "any" job needed to stop an offensive play, or defend against a play.
- Football is a team sport and at the same time success depends on the performance of individuals doing their job and maybe the job of others.
- Football requires discipline, strength and most important AGILITY. A 275lb middle linebacker is VERY agile on his feet.
Some Details
- There is a play book. The summary pages of the play book is on the arm of the quarterback. The quarterback calls the plays to the team. These plays are developed and organized by the coaches and many times called in from the sidelines by the coaches (command and control). The plays are detailed to the point of how many foot steps are to be taken before a player takes the next action:
- Run down the field 13 steps, turn to the left, receive the pass sent your way.
- Block the opponent by starting on your left foot and hitting him "on the numbers" to push him to the right so the running back on your left can come through the hole in the line you just created.
- The plays NEVER go according the plan
- The play emerges as the players engage each other
- But without a detailed PLAN and the practice of that plan, your team would be literally "run over" by the opponent.
- The head coach and the other coaches "train" the players to follow the game plan.
- Detailed execution drills are done every day during the season. "two a days" before the season.
- Players "learn" their plays by repeated exercise. They know what to do in each situation by repeated practice. They can execute their plays when called on by the quarter.
- They can figure what to do beyond those plays in a split second, when the game is in motion - thinking literally "on their" feet as the action emerges in front of them in split second decisions.
- The athelitic Director "guides" the mission of the football team, with funding, recuriting, hiring and firing.
- The Head Coach "manages" the team from start to end. In the locker room, in the office, on the road, on the side lines. The coach is the "leader" of the team when the play is not running. The quarterback is the "leader" of the team when the play is running. The Captain(s) are the leaders of the team.
- The other coaches "manage" their speciality disciplines
- Offense
- Defense
- Special teams
In the End
- Deatiled plans are made before every game
- Plans are executed according to the stratgey
- This strategy "emerges" as the game proceeds
- Once a plan is called, the execution "emerges" as the opponent reacts to the plan.
- Defense has plays as well that react to the offense's play
- Individual contribute to success
- The team as a whole must play as a single unit
- The "command and control" from the quarterback, the sidelines, and the observes from above must all interact in seamless harmony for the next play to be success
- Sometimes, pure chaos reigns and sometimes that chaos is the key to wining
- But most of the time disciplined execution of the plan is required just to survive.
Go Buffs
