Innovation's Great, Except When...

 

What a wholesome theme for July, right? Innovation – with its roots in Latin, it just sounds cool. Who in the ProjectManagement.com world could possibly be against it? Correct answer in 5…4…3…2…

Of course I’m against it! Well, not against “innovation” per se, rather what has been foisted upon the world of management science in the name of innovation. The normal advancement of the management sciences, particularly those dealing with project management specifically, is hindered (if not introduced to periods of out-and-out stagnation) by the common use of two tactics, both involving an invocation to “innovation”:

1.      Some tried-and-true approach, analysis technique, or tool is given a new moniker, and rolled back out as something innovative when it is, in fact, anything but. With a façade of newness attached to it, those perpetrating this variety of hoax hope to gain more attention and epistemological ground than they otherwise could. Examples include “critical chain” scheduling, better known by its previous title “crashing the schedule,” and “life cycle costing,” known for decades as “the right way to do an estimate.”

2.      An invalid approach, analysis technique, or tool is introduced. It’s new, alright (Dictionary.com’s definition of “innovation” is “something new or different introduced.”[i] ) – they are also often openly fraudulent.

Examples of the second type are all around the typical PM practitioner. My regular readers are used to my taking shots at risk management, or accountants over-selling the efficacy of the information stream emanating from the general ledger, so I’ll take a break from those (rather easy) targets, and go on to other hacks who have, nevertheless, made significant inroads in to what is considered the project management body of knowledge under the guise of being “innovative.”

The next easiest targets are probably the communications experts. Almost everybody who works for a living knows that conflict is common in the office, and project teams are certainly no exception. Then, along come the communications experts, who assert that much – if not most – of this conflict exists simply because we misunderstand each other. Heck, virtually the entire run of Star Trek – The Next Generation used this premise to drive its (insipid, really) plots. It should be pointed out that, at the time, ST:TNG was considered “innovative,” especially compared to its predecessor, Star Trek (nicknamed The Original Series, for clarity’s sake). As it turns out, abandoning classic plot structure in favor of “it was all a big misunderstanding” would prove to be a mistake, dooming thousands of Star Trek fans to the thin gruel of having to accept that humans were , at best, equals in the universe of sentient beings, inferior frequently, and using our wits or superior weaponry was simply blasé. Thanks, innovative writers.

Then there’s the surge in creating so-called “enterprise management” systems. These are software vendors pushing the idea that, if you only purchase their product, they will deliver the whole management information enchilada: the erstwhile entrepreneur or program/portfolio manager will become the ultimate go-to guy for profoundly informed decisions, don’t you know. Check out their websites – if you come across one that does not include the word “innovation” or “innovative,” let me know. Or, save yourself the trouble, since I’m guessing they’re pretty rare.

Here's a quick-and-easy litmus test: valid project management science innovation will usually be presented by someone who says “I think I have a better way to reach your project’s goals, and would appreciate an opportunity to show you.” Those who are selling PM snake oil, under the guise of being innovative, will, instead, imperiously insist that you adapt new meanings to well-known words (risk managers), expect you to “value” a certain output from their pet management information stream (accountants), or just generally want you to change your attitude to be more closely aligned with theirs. These are the charlatans, and don’t let them convince you that they are the innovators.