Adaptive Project Management…
As managers of many successful agile projects, we have found that strong project management is absolutely critical to the successful adoption and application of agile methodologies. But we have also discovered that there exists a lack of alignment between the methodologies and tools of traditional project management and those of newer agile methodologies. Furthermore, we believe this misalignment is symptomatic of a deeper problem – differences in fundamental assumptions about change, control, order, organizations, people and overall problem solving approach.
The traditional project manager is often seen as a “taskmaster” who develops and controls the master plan that documents (often in excruciating detail) the tasks, dependencies, and resources required to deliver the end product. The project manager then monitors the status of tasks and adjusts the plan as necessary. Underpinning this mechanistic approach is the assumption that equates individuals to interchangeable, controllable commodities.
The best project managers aren’t just organizers – they combine business vision, communication skills, soft management skills and technical savvy with the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute. In essence, they are not just managers – they are leaders. While this has always been the case, agile project management places a higher premium on the leadership skills than ever before.
Agile teams create and monitor their own iteration plans in collaboration with the customers. The customer creates stories (features) and prioritizes them based on business value. The developers divide up the tasks themselves as they work and measures progress for each iteration (time-boxed development cycle), adjusting plans with the customer as necessary. So, if the project no longer needs a detailed master project plan, why does it need a project manager?
Because every project needs a leader. Agile methodologies free the project manager from the drudgery of being a taskmaster thereby enabling the project manager to focus on being a leader – someone who keeps the spotlight on the vision, who inspires the team, who promotes teamwork, communication and collaboration, who champions the project and removes obstacles to progress. Rather than being an operational controller, the project manager can become an adaptive leader.
