Going to the Movies: The Agile Character

Michael Aucoin, D. Engr., PE, PMP is president of Leading Edge Management, LLC in College Station, Texas and author of Right-Brain Project Management: A Complementary Approach. He can be reached at [email protected].

  Agile  

Do you want to really improve your agile projects? Then go to the movies.

That’s right, you heard me. I can see some of you happily planting a copy of this article on your sponsor’s desk and taking the afternoon off to munch on popcorn at the Cineplex. But before you leave the sponsor’s office, commit to the sponsor that you will come back a different person--you will return emboldened to swat away those pesky little challenges that plague the agile project.

How will you undergo this metamorphosis? Research demonstrates that individuals who are more emotionally mature can better navigate the ambiguities of agile projects. These are people who can ride through inner conflict, believing that they will master it and master their project challenges. When faced with a tough challenge, individuals who are less mature in character avoid the challenge, procrastinate or make justifications for taking the easy way out.

The agile project requires adaptability and perseverance to move forward even when the environment is complex, ambiguous and changing. Here’s the link to the movies--that’s exactly what is required of characters in the typical movie. By careful study (between handfuls of Mike and Ike) we can watch our screen heroes overcome their challenges and learn how to overcome ours.

Take for instance The Great Escape, the true story of…

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