Pirates Fighting Among Themselves While the Spanish Galleon Sails On Up

This past summer I went to a baseball game. It wasn’t completely without benefit. I enjoyed indulging in the traditional stadium food and libations, the $1 hot dogs formed from some unrecognizable substance and the “it shall offend no one” stadium beer (nor shall it please anyone, but let’s not be sticklers). While being herded out with the crowds I noticed that many people seemed to be truly elated or dejected based on the victor in this sports match. Who won? Who cares! While I really tried to get into the spirit of things, I just couldn’t work up a good head of steam around caring who hit a little while ball farther or ran around a dirt track before that little white ball could touch them. (more…)

Thoughts on Spiral Development

We have been exposed in recent years to many project management and product development methodology terms with often subtle differences in meaning. The latest version of the PMBOK, for example uses the term “progressive elaboration” to describe the eventual realization of project scope after multiple iterations of planning. The project scope becomes more explicit and detailed over time, as opposed to requirements creep — which is considered uncontrolled change. (more…)

An Organic Approach to Project Management

In Flocks and Swarms - The End of Control As We Know It

(blogs.cio.com, Tuesday, October 24, 2006), Michael Hugos asks, “What makes a flock of birds or a school of fish move as if they are a single entity? What makes them all suddenly rise, turn and accelerate at the same time? There is something more subtle at work here than just a leader bird or a captain fish telling all the others what to do. What can we learn from the dynamics of flocks and swarms that is relevant to the way we structure and operate a real-time business?” (more…)