Andy Black
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About 15 years ago I spent €2k on a one week project management course.
The guy giving it was one of those wise old fellas retired from the corporate world and enjoying teaching the next generations.
I only really remember one thing from the course, and he told us it in the first 10 minutes and then said we could all go home (which of course we didn’t).
He said: “A project manager‘s job is to pass a test.”
Find out what the test will be,
what day the test will be performed, and then do what needs done to pass it.
If you need to deliver 37 red widgets by 13:00 on 01-Jun-20 then that’s the test that will be applied at that date and time.
“It’s 13:00 on 01-Jun-20. Did you deliver 37 red widgets to ABC specification?”
“No. You didn’t say it had to be ABC specification. You just said to deliver 37 red widgets which I have here.”
“Ah, but we need them to ABC specification.”
“But that’s not what you said, and not what we agreed.”
So part of your job is to define the test so if people keep changing their mind or engaging in scope creep then you can amend and agree the test accordingly.
“Oh, you need the 37 red widgets to be at XYZ specification? That’s going to cost $X,XXX more to be delivered on the original date and time.”
Simple right?
I did wonder what we’d do as project managers if the businesses actually needed 15 blue widgets and not 37 red ones, to which he replied “That’s not your job. Someone in the business need to determine what’s needed or not. You’re the postman. You’re job is to deliver.”
EDIT: I just put this into it's own post and also posted to LinkedIn:
The guy giving it was one of those wise old fellas retired from the corporate world and enjoying teaching the next generations.
I only really remember one thing from the course, and he told us it in the first 10 minutes and then said we could all go home (which of course we didn’t).
He said: “A project manager‘s job is to pass a test.”
Find out what the test will be,
what day the test will be performed, and then do what needs done to pass it.
If you need to deliver 37 red widgets by 13:00 on 01-Jun-20 then that’s the test that will be applied at that date and time.
“It’s 13:00 on 01-Jun-20. Did you deliver 37 red widgets to ABC specification?”
“No. You didn’t say it had to be ABC specification. You just said to deliver 37 red widgets which I have here.”
“Ah, but we need them to ABC specification.”
“But that’s not what you said, and not what we agreed.”
So part of your job is to define the test so if people keep changing their mind or engaging in scope creep then you can amend and agree the test accordingly.
“Oh, you need the 37 red widgets to be at XYZ specification? That’s going to cost $X,XXX more to be delivered on the original date and time.”
Simple right?
I did wonder what we’d do as project managers if the businesses actually needed 15 blue widgets and not 37 red ones, to which he replied “That’s not your job. Someone in the business need to determine what’s needed or not. You’re the postman. You’re job is to deliver.”
EDIT: I just put this into it's own post and also posted to LinkedIn:
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