Comments on: Scary Ideas in Project Management http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management The Synthetic Approach to Information Discovery Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:55:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Cloned Milkmen http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management/comment-page-1#comment-28489 Cloned Milkmen Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:19:31 +0000 http://paranoidagnostic.net/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management#comment-28489 Shortly after I posted this, I did buy two t-shirts from cafe press. Unfortunately, the cartoon was small and just about unreadable. Not really worth it. From what I can tell the "scary ideas" guy takes other people's images and then tries to make some money by selling stuff through cafe press. I don't know who has the original copyright on the "project management" cartoon, but I am pretty sure it isn't the "scary ideas..." website owner. Shortly after I posted this, I did buy two t-shirts from cafe press. Unfortunately, the cartoon was small and just about unreadable. Not really worth it. From what I can tell the “scary ideas” guy takes other people’s images and then tries to make some money by selling stuff through cafe press. I don’t know who has the original copyright on the “project management” cartoon, but I am pretty sure it isn’t the “scary ideas…” website owner.

]]> By: NudoruUdon » Blog Archive » Project management http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management/comment-page-1#comment-28488 NudoruUdon » Blog Archive » Project management Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:13:11 +0000 http://paranoidagnostic.net/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management#comment-28488 [...] an in-depth analysis of it. It’s all so clear [...] [...] an in-depth analysis of it. It’s all so clear [...]

]]> By: Soelas http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management/comment-page-1#comment-90 Soelas Mon, 02 Jan 2006 21:05:49 +0000 http://paranoidagnostic.net/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management#comment-90 To further discussion on your analysis... I have recently become witness to a PERFECT example of your cartoon. Disclaimer: what i am about to right could be COMPLETE and UTTER lies. There may actually be no truth in what I'm saying. This is merely a personal OPINION based on the little information I have on the subject. I am currently working as maintenance millwright for a company that is about to start up a large oil plant. One of the pieces of equipment purchased is a pump/compressor. We'll call it "the pump" for future reference. The pump's main purpose is to pump casing gas (along with a little fluid) out of the well. Once this whole operation is running it will serve it's purpose well. However, our operating parameters are not normal right now. We are just in start up. Due to this change the pump is being used for different purposes than it was originally intended for and outside the operating parameters of the design. Now that the pump has been run for several days outside it's limits a seal has failed. Now everyone is upset. The engineering firm who is building the place was promised a pump that performs to a specific standard and they were provided with such. However, noone stopped to ask (or answer correctly if it was asked) if this pump would see any other operating conditions temporarily. So now we're stuck with a pump that will fail everytime we use it until these wells are operating normally. It will take several months before the well is operating normally. 3 months X seal changes 15 times a month X $2000 a seal change is not an acceptable figure. The pump technicians have shown up on site and informed management that they can change the design for a certain cost and the pump will operate within the parameters we want it to run. Of course his proposal was not met with happiness since the original pump was supposed to do this in the first place. All hail the might communication failure! :) To further discussion on your analysis…

I have recently become witness to a PERFECT example of your cartoon.

Disclaimer: what i am about to right could be COMPLETE and UTTER lies. There may actually be no truth in what I’m saying. This is merely a personal OPINION based on the little information I have on the subject.

I am currently working as maintenance millwright for a company that is about to start up a large oil plant. One of the pieces of equipment purchased is a pump/compressor. We’ll call it “the pump” for future reference.

The pump’s main purpose is to pump casing gas (along with a little fluid) out of the well. Once this whole operation is running it will serve it’s purpose well. However, our operating parameters are not normal right now. We are just in start up. Due to this change the pump is being used for different purposes than it was originally intended for and outside the operating parameters of the design.

Now that the pump has been run for several days outside it’s limits a seal has failed. Now everyone is upset.

The engineering firm who is building the place was promised a pump that performs to a specific standard and they were provided with such. However, noone stopped to ask (or answer correctly if it was asked) if this pump would see any other operating conditions temporarily.

So now we’re stuck with a pump that will fail everytime we use it until these wells are operating normally. It will take several months before the well is operating normally. 3 months X seal changes 15 times a month X $2000 a seal change is not an acceptable figure.

The pump technicians have shown up on site and informed management that they can change the design for a certain cost and the pump will operate within the parameters we want it to run. Of course his proposal was not met with happiness since the original pump was supposed to do this in the first place.

All hail the might communication failure! :)

]]> By: Cloned Milkmen http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management/comment-page-1#comment-82 Cloned Milkmen Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:16:36 +0000 http://paranoidagnostic.net/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management#comment-82 Alas, my grammar is poor. However, it is not normally this poor. I am pressed for time currently and put little effort into proof-reading that post. I'll fix it later... yeah that's it... later. Alas, my grammar is poor. However, it is not normally this poor. I am pressed for time currently and put little effort into proof-reading that post. I’ll fix it later… yeah that’s it… later.

]]> By: Soelas http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management/comment-page-1#comment-81 Soelas Sun, 04 Dec 2005 16:58:24 +0000 http://paranoidagnostic.net/2005/12/03/scary-ideas-in-project-management#comment-81 I like your analysis. I can't stand your grammar ;)   Bad grammar aside, I understand what you are trying to say here. I am not in the IT industry. I am in the oilfield maintenance/construction industry. However, everything you've talked about here applies almost directly to our industry.   That cartoon is not anything new. Many years ago when I worked at Hydra group that cartoon was posted in the general manager's office. As funny as it was I often found it a constant reminder of how poorly that company was run, because it was an exact picture of how things got handled there.   Over the years I've found that most companies and businesses run like that. The key underlying factor is...   COMMUNICATION!   Communication is only communication when all parties involved understand the information being sent in the same way. I'll try to put things simply (or more complicated) in an example.   Someone asks, Spell the word "there"   I say "T-h-e-r-e" You say "t-h-e-i-r" and someone else says "T-h-e-y-'-r-e"   We're all correct in our spelling. We were all wrong with our communication.   Effective communication requires feedback. Every person should have asked for clarification IF they realized that there were more than one way to spell the word. If noone knew that there was more than one way to spell the word the person asking the question should have realized it when they got 3 different answers back and then spoke up and clarified.   I think a large problem with miscommunication is self esteem and money. Noone wants to let anyone else know that they DON'T KNOW. Especially when the customer is assuming you should KNOW EVERYTHING. We perceive "asking questions" as a sign of stupidity or incompetence.   On top of that if someone in the chain doesn't understand or if they notice something wrong they are often reluctant to say anything out of fear.   If they say something and admit they didn't communicate their problem correctly they open themselves up to being liability since they're (usually the only ones) admitting fault. Fault is usually what dictates who foots the bill.   In the scenario of this cartoon. If the customer realized halfway through the project that what was happening was COMPLETELY off track of what they wanted and said something about it, then the business consultant or project manager may say " well, that's not what was outlined in the original quote. This is ALL going to cost extra."   In contrast, if the customer waits until they get the finished product and says, "I am not happy with the product, I want warranty." Then they feel they are off the hook for the cost of fixing it.   I think that communication is probably the most important thing in ANY project whether it's business or a personal matter. Good communication is usually hindered by the fear of being at fault (which usually costs). If everyone could just get over that fear, things would probably go much better.         I like your analysis. I can’t stand your grammar ;)
 
Bad grammar aside, I understand what you are trying to say here. I am not in the IT industry. I am in the oilfield maintenance/construction industry. However, everything you’ve talked about here applies almost directly to our industry.
 
That cartoon is not anything new. Many years ago when I worked at Hydra group that cartoon was posted in the general manager’s office. As funny as it was I often found it a constant reminder of how poorly that company was run, because it was an exact picture of how things got handled there.
 
Over the years I’ve found that most companies and businesses run like that. The key underlying factor is…
 
COMMUNICATION!
 
Communication is only communication when all parties involved understand the information being sent in the same way. I’ll try to put things simply (or more complicated) in an example.
 
Someone asks, Spell the word “there”
 
I say “T-h-e-r-e”
You say “t-h-e-i-r”
and someone else says “T-h-e-y-’-r-e”
 
We’re all correct in our spelling. We were all wrong with our communication.
 
Effective communication requires feedback. Every person should have asked for clarification IF they realized that there were more than one way to spell the word. If noone knew that there was more than one way to spell the word the person asking the question should have realized it when they got 3 different answers back and then spoke up and clarified.
 
I think a large problem with miscommunication is self esteem and money. Noone wants to let anyone else know that they DON’T KNOW. Especially when the customer is assuming you should KNOW EVERYTHING. We perceive “asking questions” as a sign of stupidity or incompetence.
 
On top of that if someone in the chain doesn’t understand or if they notice something wrong they are often reluctant to say anything out of fear.
 
If they say something and admit they didn’t communicate their problem correctly they open themselves up to being liability since they’re (usually the only ones) admitting fault. Fault is usually what dictates who foots the bill.
 
In the scenario of this cartoon. If the customer realized halfway through the project that what was happening was COMPLETELY off track of what they wanted and said something about it, then the business consultant or project manager may say ” well, that’s not what was outlined in the original quote. This is ALL going to cost extra.”
 
In contrast, if the customer waits until they get the finished product and says, “I am not happy with the product, I want warranty.” Then they feel they are off the hook for the cost of fixing it.
 
I think that communication is probably the most important thing in ANY project whether it’s business or a personal matter. Good communication is usually hindered by the fear of being at fault (which usually costs). If everyone could just get over that fear, things would probably go much better.
 
 
 
 

]]>