Project Shrink

“All this talking about self-organization, complex systems and other fuzzy wuzzy stuff. HOW DO I USE THIS IN A REAL PROJECT?” Fair enough. It is the same question I have. In this post I will outline my idea for a technique that combines the notion of a project as human system working towards a desired [...]

This is the final post in my series about using systems thinking for analyzing problems in projects. 1. Systems Thinking: A Technique To Find Project Problems 2. Systems Thinking: Looking For Causal Loops 3. Shifting The Burden And Fixes That Backfire – Archetypes Part 1 4. Limits To Growth And Tragedy Of The Commons – [...]

This is the fourth post in my series about using systems thinking for analyzing problems in projects. I recommend you read the previous posts before diving head first into this post. Archetypes can be considered as stereotypes of problematic situations. When analyzing a situation they are the standard patterns you look for. In this post [...]

This is the third post in my series about using systems thinking for analyzing problems in projects. I recommend you read the previous posts before diving head first into this post. After extensive research Peter Senge, author of the book The Fifth Discipline, found patterns that were common among the situations he studied; a couple [...]

Yesterday I talked about how systems thinking can be used to find patterns and cause-effect-chains that help you find solutions to problems in projects. All these patterns, links and loops are fine and dandy, but you are probably wondering right now how this is going to help you running your project? Check Out This Example [...]

Finding the real cause of a project problem can be a difficult task. You have to look for patterns … “These patterns are dynamic systems in action, a human system seen over a time period. Patterns are trends over time and involve dependencies with other systems. To spot such trends in projects we use metrics [...]

When your company is struggling with projects, when all Project Managers are PMP certified, when every conceivable procedure seems to be in place, it is time to turn to The Fifth Discipline. No, this is not some kind of dark society. It is the art of creating a learning organization.

Project life can be quite frustrating when one day after another turns out not how you planned it. The software should be ready when you said it would. It has to. Otherwise you have people waiting, customers complaining and bosses getting annoyed. It is your reputation and ultimately your job on the line. If you [...]