Bas de Baar is a Dutch visual facilitator, creating visual tools for dialogue. He is dedicated to improve the dialogue we use to make sense of change.
As The Project Shrink, this is the riddle he tries to solve:
“If you are a Project Manager that operates for a short period of time in a foreign organization, with a global team you don’t know, in a domain you would not know, using virtual communication, high uncertainty, limited authority and part of what you do out in the open on the Internet, how do you make it all work?”
That's strange. Because you love it! Of course you do. And you can be proud. You made an awesome Excel sheet. One heck of a mission statement.
But. Not everyone likes to receive information in the same way you do. Some like LinkedIn. I wish I was one of them. Really. But I don't. Boring? Who knows. I like to receive my information and interaction differently. Like Facebook.
I can't wait for them to roll out their new feature called Timeline. What they will do is put all the elements you posted on Facebook the last couple of years, like photos, links, public statements, and place them on a chronological timeline. Making it the Story Of You.
Of course, Facebook knowing, it will be a privacy nightmare, but that is besides my point. What they do is pick single pieces of information already there, place them on a timeline and present them visually. And presto. You have a highly engaging Story of You.
At least. That is what I expect. Perhaps next week I will write a post about how disappointed I am. We'll see.
Ok. So individual pieces of information put together can make a story? Hmmmm.
What if instead of Excel sheets, grids, metrics and mission statements, you create the Story Of Your Project? Same information. Entirely different feel.
You just need a timeline.
Better yet! You need maps! Maps to put stuff on. Maps that will help you tell your Project Story.
Think about your project as a Big Adventure. You are trying to find a treasure. You are going to retrieve a stolen secret document. You are going to set the princess free. Or you are going to create something exciting for an awesome client.
You and your team will work hard to reach The Goal. To create The Thing.
Every project is a journey. It is never a straight line. You might have some idea about how to move through the unknown territory in search for The Goal. But it’s surely isn’t a done deal. Things happen. Things aren’t always what you think they are. New shit will come to light, as The Dude would say.
You have to conquer obstacles, re-plan, regroup, rethink and change course.
Back in the days pirates would go through extreme lengths to get their treasure maps. Of course they would only have half of the map. But that was so much better than having no map at all. And the end of the journey would always be indicated by an X. X marks the spot. Your Thing is The X. Even today. If you are going to somewhere you haven’t gone before, a map is awesome. It provides you directions. It helps you make sense of where you are, and where you should be going. Of course. Maps. Now we have an app for that.
But still.
You and your team need a map for your Big Adventure. Imagine your project as a map through unknown territory in search for The Goal. Creating Your Thing. The X.
Actually. You need more than one map. You need a couple of them. Airplane pilots use different kinds of maps than London cabbie drivers. If you are drilling for oil you have a different map than if you are looking for the nearest fresh bottle of Perrier.
Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.
There were a few hero's that couldn't stand it anymore. They had a hard time fighting The Mechanistic Man. Fighting those who thought of humans as resources. Fighting those who wrote large documents. They were tired of that. They couldn't stand it anymore.
But their group was small. Determined. But just seventeen people.
On a legendary November day they met in a ski resort in Utah. The resort was called The Lodge. Of course it was. What else would you call it.
They secretly crafted their manifesto. Against something. Or in favor of something. Whatever. Seventeen hero's sitting around a fireplace drinking wine, and crafting there Message To The World.
Now THAT is a story. Now THIS is how you create a legend.
Who cares if it exactly happened like that. What matters is that you have an awesome narrative and a one page manifesto you can print out and stick to the doors of your office. It's a declaration. "This are my principles."
Agile has it covered. They even have a "Scrum Gathering". I mean. How mythical can you get!? The leprechauns are meeting in the enchantment forrest. It's their annual gathering.
And they have icons. Kent Beck. Alistair Cockburn. Jim Highsmith.
For Project Management it gets a little more complicated.
Some say that the Egyptian pharaohs had Project Managers when building the pyramids. Others say it started either in the first or the second world war. Or even as late as the 1950s.
That's confusing. That ruins a great story. There is not just one.
"Project Management. What is that?" "Hmmm. Well. Something old I guess."
And it is very hard to nail 500 page explanation of the discipline to the door of your office. "This are my principles." "Did you read them?" "Nah."
And although Henry Gantt and Henry Fayol where immensely intelligent, influential, and probably very cool in their days, I'm not sure they are icons with a mass appeal in todays world.
So. In The Project Management Makeover Project, my attempt to make Project Management sexy, we have to pay attention to The Legend Of Creation and we need a nice collection of icons. Preferably still alive.
"The legend tells that a Dutch guy was sitting at his kitchen table and typing away. What he typed was obscure. But important. Some called him The Project Shrink. Because they couldn't pronounce The Project Sociologist. Some joined him in his quest to make PM sexy."
That's all I have at this moment. Nobody joined yet. But I am typing this at my kitchen table. Do you care to finish this story? Or rewrite it. Because it stinks.
Now for icons.
We need people that have something important to say.
Let me start with two suggestions.
Havi Brooks. For explaining everything about communication and culture. In the most fascinating way. Jon Whitty. For doing the most interesting PM research I know. About why we do what we do.
Do you care to add some icons?
Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.
The first thing that I moved into this house eight years ago was the television and the internet connection. Priorities people.
The first thing on the agenda for The Project Management Makeover Project, my attempt to make Project Management sexy, are the titles. The words or acronyms you may put behind your name when you managed to pass the test criteria.
This is important. This is what The Others will see from our make over. If you need to become sexy, you can work on your inside and outside. If you need to do it fast, go for the outside only. Call me shallow.
I always admired the people that have a title from Lean Six Sigma. The belts. A Black Belt. A Green Belt. You can hear Mr. Miyagi from the The Karate Kid in the background: "Paint the fence. Wax the floor." You will step aside when a Black Belt enters the office. There is a sense of admiration going through the room. With one well placed kick the Black Belt will kick the crap out of your waste.
We should go for something like this.
Acronyms don't have the same feel to it. Although. My all-time favorite is still LIVR. I remember this one from reading The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy during study. When I studied software engineering during the first half of the nineties, reading this classic book series by Douglas Adams was socially required. If you were unable to quote The Guide, well, you were not a geek.
In this book a judge has the letters LIVR behind his name. Learned, Impartial, and Very Relaxed. This was just to reassure people that he was indeed learned, impartial and very relaxed. Same thing with a Black Belt. That's reassuring.
It should also flow natural in conversations.
"I am Learned, Impartial and Very Relaxed." "Of course you are." Great flow.
From PMP to PiMP is a world of difference.
You can shizzle like Snoop Dogg.
"What can I do for you, PiMP?" Now that's flow.
From Prince 2 to Prince Of Darkness is a world of difference. That would be an awesome business card.
"John Doe, Prince Of Darkness". Working for Evil Empire Inc. Different flow. Different feel.
So. Feel. Flow. Let's see what else is important?
Oh. Yes. Uniqueness. If everyone has the same title, it is not really a differentiator, is it?
So. I was thinking. Why not give everyone a different title?
Things like: He Who De-creeps The Scope. He Who Haz Ze Plan. Or She of course. This will only result in an administrative nightmare. But. We just have to find He Who Haz The Power To Create Large Databases.
The more I think about. Everyone should be able to create there own. Register it on a web site, so people can look up what the heck it means.
Wouldn't it be awesome if you can officially put Power Ninja behind your name? Or Risk Buster? Or even Certified Risk Buster to reassure everyone it's official, and not something you just made up.
How about Project Shrink? Or would that be too much?
Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.
We need more sex in project management. Says Ron Rosenhead. No! Not in that way. Jeez.
Someone once said to Ron: “the words project management are such a turn off. You need to sex it up a bit and call it something else!”
You see. In that way.
Of course I agree. "Project Management" is just, you know, too much "Management". Calling people "resources". Having Excel sheets for every occasion. Calling "obnoxious" "proactive". Actually using phrases like "being on the same page" and "thinking out of the box."
Oh my.
So. We need to make it more sexy.
We need a new word. That word will be "bootstrapping". Really. I will not have any discussion on this.
But only a new word will not cut it.
I actually tried to make Project Management sexy.
Nine years ago. In a beer-commercial way. If we get a sexy girl to act as an Project Manager, then the profession will be sexy.
On the cover was a drawing of a girl. The idea was: "look how cool this Project Management stuff actually is."
Let me provide you with some text from the introduction:
"Sometimes I wish the job of software project manager has more danger. Walking around, shooting from the hip to your opponent. Employees in fear, ‘cause there’s a new project manager in town. Something like that.
Sometimes I wish the job of software project manager is cool. In the 1995 movie “Hackers” actor Jonny Lee Miller is painting his laptop with camouflage colors. Cool. Mine is black, sadly.
But there is danger. It is cool. That’s why being a software project manager is the choice of Sofi. Sofi is the new heroine we desperately need in our profession. It’s like Lara Croft is kicking some programmer butt."
Oh my. I was young.
Nine years later we still have the same problem. So. This doesn't work.
I think we really need a good makeover. Not just a different hair color. Or those underpants that make your waist look thinner.
And I will do this.
I am the right man to do this job.
I have a word (bootstrapping!).
So. I am all set for "The Project Management Makeover Project."
I am experimenting with putting all my topics about project culture in one narrative. As a first try-out I hosted a webinar called "Bootstrapping Project Culture Without Freaking People Out" earlier this week. It contains all the crazy stuff I write about like flags! and bootstrapping! How do you actually bootstrap a project culture? Without freaking people out?
You can view a recording of this session below. (Or follow this link to Youtube).
I would really appreciate your feedback, to fine tune this sometimes funky topic :) You can leave a comment or drop me a mail at basdebaar - AT - gemail.com.
Thanks!
Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.
