The Portugal Project: A Real-Life PM Adventure

Following 20 years at a large Canadian telecommunications firm, Bruce established the project management consulting firm Solutions Management Inc (SMI). Since 1999, he has provided contract project/program management services, been a source for project management support personnel and created/delivered courses to over 7,000 participants in Canada, the United States and England.

  Scope Management   Stakeholder Management  

When we talk about project management, we often default to the corporate world: software rollouts, office renovations, and change initiatives that involve more sticky notes than anyone thought possible.

But the truth is, every one of us is a project manager in daily life, whether we recognize it or not. Grocery shopping, planning a birthday party—or in my case, coordinating a two-week trip to Portugal with my wife for our anniversary—are all projects with goals, risks, stakeholders and (most importantly) lessons learned.

Let’s explore the Portugal adventure through the lens of four of the Project Management Institute’s key phases: initiating, planning, executing, and closing. Along the way, you’ll see that the same principles used to build bridges or launch spacecraft also apply to catching flights, booking Airbnbs, and standing in unreasonably long museum lines under the Iberian sun.

Initiating: From Idea to Approval
All projects begin with a spark. For us, it was the irresistible idea of celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary with an overseas trip. The business case was strong:

• Objective: Create lasting memories (ideally ones we could boast about to friends)
• Scope: Two weeks in Portugal, covering both city life in Lisbon and coastal relaxation in Lagos
• Stakeholders: Myself (project sponsor and co-manager), my wife (lead …

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