George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
As project managers, are we not in the business of instantiating, that is, bringing something of an abstract nature that exists in thought or idea into some form of realized existence?
This thought came to my mind today; maybe it had something to do with what I had for lunch, but regardless, it got me thinking, and I thought it would be appropriate to pass it on to my fellow project professionals to “chew on” and see if there was any insight to be gained from this delusion.
Question: From an analogical perspective, what could we learn or do better in our profession if we treated our projects as living organisms?
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Nov 18, 2024 7:52 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
...
George, Where I see the potential is identifying non-obvious patterns and response options from biological domains.
If you've used numerical analysis methods, you'll recognize that in many cases they help solve problems using brute force by trying to fit many curves to the data to see how well they fit regardless of the physics responsible for what would cause that specific curve. GST combined with modern computing capabilities including AI could help search for similar patterns and relate those back to physical reasons behind the patterns and how we might use nature as a guide.
Relating specifically to PM, consider the golden ratio. It has been used in architecture for millennia as people find it aesthetically pleasing. It is also found in plants and shells without flowers or snails deciding for themselves what they find visually attractive. Some project characteristics might be found to typically follow the same ratio. If the metrics diverge, then that may indicate a project health issue.
Response behaviors might be suggested in a similar way. When I had knee surgery, my brain paralyzed my thigh to prevent me from further injuring myself (a very unnerving sensation). An algorithm evaluating a project might find a pattern indicating some kind of business trauma, and a suggested response could be to isolate the problem area based on the response of living creatures.
Although I know how much you love AI ;-), I think it will open new possibilities for GST in predictive capabilities. GST and many related subjects grew rapidly in the 1940s and 50s where technology advancements in communication enabled sharing scientific studies in ways never before possible. That availability of information allowed recognizing repeating patterns across different domains. Today we have the internet where the amount of available data has grown exponentially. With AI comes the ability to process that data to search for patterns across domains and quantum computing will further accelerate the analysis. I think there will be great predictive opportunities in finding patterns people didn't know existed and/or think were relevant or important. Keith
Keith,
I agree with you that the non-obvious patterns and responses are the key, as finding patterns indicating when a project is under stress, the stressors, and the degree of stress, or knowing when a project has sustained injury, the mechanism of injury, and its severity seems analogically correlative to traditional project analytics—recognizing after the fact.
Having the ability to predict stress and potential injuries through non-standard measures, such as corporate political pressures, project chatter and tone, adaptability and avoidance quotients, consistency and reliability, and the like would greatly complement standard project metrics to give us a picture of overall health and outlook.
I see the Golden Ratio as a rule of thumb, but that doesn’t negate its value. Vesting in GST principles, however, provides the hope of predictive knowledge, as the pattern is there, we just need to discover and then expose it.
I wonder if the desire for such exploratory depth is present in our field.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Plenty of insightful and thoughtful comments! The first thing that came to mind after reading the question is: Allow it time to rest. Sleep is a fundamental physiological need that no one can escape. While some people require more sleep than others, we’ve all heard stories of individuals succumbing to sleep deprivation, even dying at their desks. The parallel to projects is clear: it’s essential to schedule time for rest and recharging. A drained team will inevitably lead to project failure and may cause serious health issues for the project’s most valuable asset—its people. Saving Changes...
Consultant| Canarys Automation LtdBangalore, Karnataka, India
Interesting analogy! Treating projects as living organisms highlights the need for adaptability, nurturing, and responsiveness. Just as living beings require care and monitoring to thrive, projects benefit from constant attention to their evolving needs—such as stakeholder feedback, environmental changes, and unforeseen risks.
Viewing projects this way could also encourage better collaboration and foster resilience, as team dynamics and external conditions often resemble the interdependencies found in ecosystems. It’s a creative perspective that could improve how we manage complexity and change.
Saving Changes...
Keith MelvinSumaria Systems, LLCDayton, OH, United States
George, I love the analogy. We must feed the living project with requirements, funding, and other resources for it to survive. Without nourishment, just like other living organisms, our projects will die. Saving Changes...
George, it's an interesting analogy to treat projects like an organism that develops from early stages to an advanced stage. Following the analogy, we know that at first the organism will need the most attention, and will have potential risks that could affect it. Nature is a savior and when damaged, the organism finds ways to recover. This is the thing that project managers do with projects, finding a path to attain the objectives, like giving the organism the correct medicine that is needed. As project managers, we should have the correct "medicines" to give, which are the processes, techniques, and methodologies we apply according to the nature and state of the project. Saving Changes...
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