Random Thoughts

The ABC principle is often linked to learning fundamentals, as famously sung by the Jackson 5 in ABC. But in project management, ABC stands for Assume nothing, Believe no one, Check everything. This take on ABC highlights the importance of risk mitigation by challenging information. It closely relates to PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act), but with a heavier emphasis on skepticism and validation.

Before diving into the ABC Principle in project management, it's important to take this with a grain of salt. These ideas encourage a healthy level of skepticism, but like any approach, they should be balanced with trust, teamwork, and effective communication.

Assume nothing

Every assumption is a potential risk. When unverified assumptions guide a project, it opens the door to disaster. A classic example is NASA’s 1999 Mars Climate Orbiter. The spacecraft was lost because of a simple yet catastrophic error: a failure to convert units. One engineering team used metric units (Newtons) for the spacecraft's thrust data, while another team used imperial units (pounds-force). This mismatch was never corrected, leading the spacecraft to come much closer to Mars than planned—so close that it disintegrated in the planet’s atmosphere. This $125 million failure was a direct result of an unchecked assumption.

In project management, assumptions like this one often fly under the radar, making it crucial to question even the smallest details to avoid colossal mistakes. Many assumptions in project management are tied to communication, which makes it crucial to communicate often and clearly. In one of my early years as a project manager, I encountered this first-hand. I assumed that project sponsorship would transfer from a departing managing director to the incoming one without issues. I went ahead and updated the project documentation to reflect the new sponsor. However, I failed to communicate this change to the incoming managing director. Later, the new sponsor humorously remarked, “Oh, thanks for making me the new sponsor. It would have been nice if you had informed me.” This taught me that assumptions around roles and expectations should always be clearly communicated.

Believe no one

“Believe no one” should be taken with a grain of salt, but even reliable sources need to be cross-examined. Everyone tends to believe what they’re told—especially if it comes from trusted sources. But in project management, relying on verbal assurances without verification can lead to failure. Cross-examination and double-checking are essential to increase the odds of delivering a successful project.

A perfect example is the 2017 Fyre Festival disaster. The organizers believed the assurances of suppliers who lacked the capability to deliver. Even reputable sources can be wrong, and failing to dig deeper can cause significant setbacks.

In today's world, this principle has become increasingly interesting due to the sheer volume of information at our fingertips. The rise of AI is playing a pivotal role here as well. Even AI tools like ChatGPT, which can provide valuable insights, come with a disclaimer that they may make mistakes and suggest verifying the information provided. This reminds us of the importance of skepticism in any project.

Check everything

Being diligent is essential. Always validate that information is up to date and relevant. Boeing’s 737 Max crisis is a stark reminder—outdated assumptions about the aircraft’s MCAS software, and failure to thoroughly check system changes, led to two fatal crashes. Not verifying critical details led to widespread fallout.

"Check everything" loops back to the first two rules. By assuming nothing and believing no one, you are effectively checking everything. But again, what is "everything"? This touches on the concept of WYSIATI—"What You See Is All There Is," a term coined by Daniel Kahneman. It humorously points out that no matter how thorough we think we are, we likely missed something. Funny, isn’t it?

In project management, the ABC rule is as simple yet vital as the Jackson 5 tune. It’s about consistently challenging information, assumptions, and sources to avoid risks and ensure project success.

You're probably well-acquainted with the timeless adage: "People don't leave bad jobs; they leave bad bosses". Over my two decades of professional experience, I've had the privilege of working with inspiring leaders who propelled me to new heights, as well as those whose management style left much to be desired.

Reflecting on this journey, I've distilled the characteristics that define a less-than-ideal manager into the ten commandments of poor leadership:

1. Empowerment evasion. Fails to foster empowerment and trust among their team, effectively stifling growth and potential.

2. Micromanagement mayhem. Tends to micromanage, thwarting the creative and autonomous spirit of their team members.

3. Delegation dilemma. Struggles with effective and equitable delegation, leading to imbalanced workloads and frustration.

4. Team neglect. Places personal success above team development and growth, leaving the collective potential untapped.

5. Superior obsession. Prioritizes appeasing superiors over the well-being and satisfaction of the team, sowing seeds of discontent.

6. Feedback fiasco. Offers vague or unconstructive feedback, acting as a roadblock to individual and collective progress.

7. Time disregard.  Demonstrates a casual approach to punctuality, often arriving late to meetings or canceling them at the eleventh hour, impacting team efficiency.

8. Arrogance abyss. Radiates arrogance and a profound lack of empathy, fostering a hostile work environment.

9. Responsibility reluctance. Shuns accountability and readily pins blame on subordinates when issues surface, eroding trust within the team.

10. Credit conquest. Seizes all the glory when things go well, conveniently sidelining the contributions of the dedicated team.

I invite you to contribute any additional negative traits that you believe deserve a spot on this list! 

Thanks for reading :-)

Describing the role of a project manager is no easy task, and drawing parallels with well-known professions can aid in this endeavor. While a film director, a sports team manager, or a choreographer do share certain similarities with the role of a project manager, the most fitting parallel can be found in the position of an orchestra director.

Below is a list of six key skills and features shared by both roles, essential for achieving excellence:  

1️⃣ Vision and Direction. Both have a clear vision of the final outcome and set the direction for their respective teams. The conductor interprets the composer's score, shaping the performance's artistic interpretation, while the project manager aligns the team's efforts with the project's objectives, ensuring everyone understands the desired outcome.

2️⃣ Coordination and Collaboration. The conductor's role is to synchronize the musicians, ensuring they start and stop together, maintain proper timing, and play in harmony. Similarly, the project manager coordinates the team's activities, assigns tasks, and facilitates collaboration among team members, ensuring everyone is working together towards a common goal.

3️⃣ Leadership. The conductor inspires and motivates the musicians, sets the tempo, and brings out the best in each section of the orchestra. Likewise, the project manager provides direction, supports team members, resolves conflicts, and empowers individuals to perform at their best.

4️⃣ Communication and Feedback. The conductor uses non-verbal cues, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, to communicate with the musicians during the performance. Similarly, the project manager facilitates effective communication within the team, provides feedback on progress, and keeps stakeholders informed about project status.

5️⃣ Adaptability. Both need to adapt and make real-time adjustments. The conductor may modify the tempo, dynamics, or interpretation during a performance, while the project manager needs to address unforeseen challenges, adjust project plans, and ensure the team remains focused and resilient in the face of change. In fact, aleatoric compositions encompass improvisations that occur within a predefined range of pitches and rhythms, providing flexibility to both the conductor and the orchestra. This parallel can be drawn to the application of agile approaches and self-organizing teams.

6️⃣ Guidance. A conductor has sufficient knowledge of music to be able to facilitate the orchestra's work but does not need to be an expert in each section or instrument. In the same way, project managers need sufficient domain or application knowledge but do not need to be able to roll up their sleeves and do the work of each contributor.

In summary, next time someone asks what do you do as a project manager, you can cleverly adapt Gustavo Dudamel’s quote: “The conductor's art is not to stand in front of an orchestra and wave his arms, but to awaken it to the possibilities that lie within the music".

So let’s continue this symphony and keep playing, shall we?

When I was a little kid I used to read “Don Miki”, a thin booklet containing graphic comics of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other characters like Goofy, Gyro Gearloose or the orange colored dog Pluto. It came out every two weeks and my grandmother visited the kiosk regularly to buy the latest issue, so I could enjoy reading it during my visits. Looking back, I realized that my passion for reading started perhaps with Walt Disney’s comics.

Fast forward to today, I found myself flipping through the pages of an ancient Don Miki together with my daughter; although she is still too young to grasp the content and moral of the stories, she surely enjoys glazing at the colorful pages. As I read the booklet, I put on the project manager lenses to realize that the fictitious characters with beaks and feathers could well be blueprints of their flesh and bone counterparts!

I start with Donald Duck, an ill-tempered character with an upbeat attitude to life. He is a total procrastinator who chooses to take long naps over doing something useful. When he runs out of cash, which is almost every day, he doesn’t hesitate to ask his wealthy uncle Scrooge. Budget management surely would not be amongst his top three skills. He doesn’t get or do anything right and blames everyone else but himself for his disgrace. Despite these numerous flaws, Donald has a heart of gold. He would never leave his three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie behind although sometimes he has a peculiar way of showing affection. With all due respect, I’d not choose this gracious duck to be in any of my teams.

But I would not vacillate to hire his beloved nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie - if they would have the minimum working age, naturally! They are crafty, inventive, responsible and always willing to give a helping hand in finding creative solutions to all sorts of problems. Their willingness to learn and experiment makes up for their shortcomings in areas that they are not too acquainted with. With such a wide array of skills, who could resist welcoming them onboard?

Another one that I would enlist without hesitation is Gyro Gearloose, the genius inventor with an outrageous productivity rate, although sometimes his inventions do not work out the way he planned to. Can you picture Gyro in a scrum meeting? He would flourish in this setting, coming up with new features and ideas, and probably driving the rest of the development team crazy. Gyro is a superb mix of a generator and a conceptualizer who thrives on solving problems and exploring new opportunities. Assign him a predictable project and he’ll soon become demotivated and bored; enroll him in a highly adventurous initiative and he’ll quickly become the team cornerstone. 

Last but not least, Mickey Mouse. He is a sweet, easy-going and carefree character, always eager to share his positivity with others and keep their spirits high during low times. Moreover, he is a composed professional even when inconveniences get in the way. On top of that, he is a true altruist who risks his own life for the safety of others without expecting any reward in return. I don’t know if you’d agree, but I believe that Mickey Mouse would make a striking project manager!

The word delegation comes from the Latin verb legare, which means “to send with a commission or charge” or “to appoint one’s representative”. It then morphed into the English term legate, “an official emissary of any kind”. In whichever language is used, one can readily grasp the importance of the delegation process and the responsibility it entails from both the delegator and the delegate. During my career, I have observed situations in which delegation has not been properly managed leading to unsuccessful results and, in the worst-case scenario, a toxic situation amongst colleagues. Read on to learn more about the three most relevant characteristics of a successful delegation.

Delegation ≠ assigning to do’s

In a previous company, there was a manager that made extensive use of an IT tool to send to-dos to colleagues. The program had some degree of gamification; the more he used the platform, the more positions he moved up in the virtual hall of fame; you can easily imagine that he shot out to-dos like if there was no tomorrow… In his view, he was delegating work but in reality he was assigning owners to a list of activities, two very different things. In short, one can’t delegate what he can’t do himself. For example, an IT developer can’t delegate coding to an HR specialist or an engineer can’t delegate the qualification of new equipment to a quality control specialist. In the case of the manager, he did not have the knowledge to carry out the activities he assigned to his colleagues. He failed to understand, apply and optimize the difference between these two concepts!

Set the right expectations right

Delegation requires a big dose of trust. If I can’t attend a meeting and request someone to fill in, I must have full trust in this person. However, trust is necessary but not enough for an effective delegation. Just as important is setting the right expectations. Taking the ABC approach (Assume nothing, Believe no one, Check everything), the degree of success of delegation will  ultimately depend on whether it has fulfilled the set expectations. Do not assume that the delegate and you have the same expectations or success acceptance criteria. A pre-delegation alignment between parties is required to put everyone on the same page and anchor the delegation boat on a safe port.

Avoid micromanagement

Micromanagement hinders the personal and professional development of individuals and leads to a poor relationship between colleagues. Micromanagers are insecure individuals who tend to fail miserably at delegating (and also at assigning tasks). Once the trust is built and the expectations are set, it is time to let the delegate carry out the work. There is no point in constantly checking on the status of delegated work because it will likely lead to frustration from both sides and could put in jeopardy the circle of trust that took so much time to build. Not to forget, empowerment and independence are what almost one third of professionals (27%) value the most in their jobs, according to a poll I recently published. Delegation and empowerment are moving parts that, if they are well oiled, fuel each other leading to an effective and productive working environment.