Project Management as an Essential Skill (or - the Fine Art of 'Doing Stuff')

If you offered a course in Common Sense, who would take it? Logically, who would need it?

Obviously Project Management Methodology is far more than common sense. But I believe the study of Project Management would go a long way toward elevating our collective 'Common Sense'.

I'm not a qualified PM Professional. I have taken introductory courses on it and have been intrigued by it ever since. I use the concepts of Project Management, both formally and informally, in much of the work that I do.

This is certainly not the place to outline the whole range of Processes or Process Groups of PM, but let's take, as an illustration, the concept of Risk Management and how it can pertain to common tasks. I recently spoke with a teacher who was exasperated with the difficulties in a number of students not reaching timelines in the course. There is a sense of hopelessness that can permeate discussions when students are far enough behind.

It can be discouraging, certainly, but this situation isn't simply an indication of poor planning - or poor Project Planning. It's an opportunity for Project Management to come to the rescue of the situation and enable forward motion. It's clear that when a skyscraper is being built, a robust Project Management Plan and PM Structure is in place with a formal Project Manager. It would be a rare occurrence for the whole building to be completed without serious Risks predicted, realized and mitigated. So how do they do it?

In the case of the classroom, there are really only 3-1/2 things you can do. Actually 4-1/2 but we can assume one has already been done**. So if you only have 3-1/2 things that you can do, it simplifies the approach and allows for forward motion.
1. Reduce Scope
2. Extend Timeline
3. Extend Resource
3-1/2. Any combination of the above.

That solution set is also the limit of response that can be employed when your skyscraper isn't on schedule.

**This assumes that the teacher and student have already negotiated the establishment of a Critical Path. That process is not likely called Critical Path, and it's criminal how the very powerful PM concept of Critical Path has been co-opted and warped for another purpose in the educational sector.

So this simplifies the discussion. Some would argue Over-Simplifies. I would disagree. The discussion and the option categories are exactly as stated. How you reach the specifics of the option chosen is work to be done, for sure, but the category of options is extremely clear.

Project Management Process Definitions bring considerably more to the table when it comes to 'Doing Stuff'. Project Definition Structures (Integration Management), Scope Management, Time Management, Cost, Quality, HR, Risk, Procurement all have every-day, every-person applications. And most notably, Communication Management is something that is under-articulated in most human activity.

And that's just it - Articulation. Project Management is "The Fine Art of Articulating the Common Sense of Doing Stuff". Or "The Articulation of the Fine Art of the Common Sense of Doing Stuff". Or just "The Fine Art of Doing Stuff". I would prefer to keep the "Articulation" in the definition of the field lest we end up just doing things and assuming that we understand them. OK - how many times did you read this paragraph?

When should this happen? As early as students are working on Projects. So that would probably mean Junior grades or lower. Obviously, the Processes and Process Groups would be reduced to those required for the task at hand and language would be adjusted to be age-appropriate.

A danger of this focus would be that it degenerates into a lesson on Time-Management. Time Management is only 1 of 9 defined Processes of Project Management. There's necessarily far more to 'Doing Stuff' than time management.

All of us - Teachers, Principals, Students, Business Administrators, Homeowners - could and should benefit from the study of Project Management. It's an art that has evolved over centuries of building pyramids, writing symphonies, putting on Broadway Shows, programming MSWord. We may as well stand on the shoulders of giants.

It would be so cool if it were common sense.