Buddy PM: Improving Project Management through Paired Reviews

Debasis is a project management consultant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

  Career Development   Leadership   Talent Management  

The art/sport of scuba diving recommends the use of buddies when preparing for a dive. A “buddy” is a person who goes on a dive with you, especially if you are a learner or the dive is new (being done for the first time). This pairing (buddying) is done before the dive begins. So, if you are going for a dive and are part of a group, your buddy is identified early on. You become a buddy for someone, and the other person is your buddy.

The buddy’s role is simple--ensure that his/ her buddy has everything in place and is following things in a proper sequence, order and magnitude. A buddy double-checks everything for his/ her buddy, while his/her buddy double-checks everything that he/she has done.

These activities commence from before they leave for the dive: ensure the right equipment is taken by each person, the tanks have the right amount of oxygen/nitrogen, all of the equipment works as desired and so on. Each person is responsible for his/her own gear--the buddy only ensures that the person has done it right, and points out any items that have been overlooked.

The buddy remains through the initial preparation, for the ride to the dive site, through the actual dive, through the surface and the post-dive check. The steps for the buddy through all the phases of the dive are the same—first, undertake a series of activities, and then check …

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