Can't do a really long post as my kid's viral infection has finally spread to me.
I really would not want to leave readers with the feeling that everything is bleak for IT PMs.
The solution to all of life's obstacles is to "Science the shit out of this problem !"
In the book Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg shared about research done on superstar project managers has the following to say which is not taught in the PMP program at all :
a) Superstar project managers limit the number of projects they do.
Superstar project managers tend to do fewer projects. Around 5 at once.
b) Superstar project managers choose their projects carefully
Rather than go with comfortable projects which they have done before, superstars based their choices on getting more opportunity to meet new people and develop new skills. This explains why they only have capacity for five projects.
c) Superstars join a project at an early stage
A lot of information gets conveyed at an early stage of a project, it's also a way to get more social capital for the project. Furthermore, the fact that projects tend to fail more often at an early stage is not a problem for superstar PMs.
d) Superstars are constantly trying to develop mental models.
This fourth skill is quite interesting as I suspect its the same skill which makes great investors. Superstar PMs are constantly trying to explain a phenomenon by creating narratives as to what has happened. These narratives are dynamic and changes with the flow of the project.
I can imagine a strong fundamental analyst as someone who can turn balance sheet numbers into a story and spin a bullish tale and adjust accordingly as the market situation changes.
Anyway, that's all I have for this weekend.
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