Law of Project Management – All projects must have a project manager to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control, and close the project.
The task of Project Management is the discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria. (see Wikipedia)
Have you watched Modern Marvels? After watching one episode, I marvel at the project management skill needed to accomplish the project. You don’t think that dams, bridges, water treatment plant, or any modern marvel builds itself, do you?
The fact is that someone has to manage a project to construct (or achieve) any project. Dad is the project manager when his son or daughter is trying to build a soap box derby, A general contractor is the project manager that organizes all of the skilled craftsmen needed to build the house you are living in.
As a project manager, my biggest challenge was clearly defining the need of the project. Sometimes customers have a good idea of what they want until I asked them specific questions.
During project initiation I heard, “Gee, I had not thought of that.” The fact is that few customers have thought through the project details.
During the end of the project, I heard, “Can you make a change so that this does that?” I found that the change request falls into one of two categories: 1) project creep or 2) change request for either an unforeseen condition or for a more complete project.
That was the customer. I am amazed at the communication that is necessary among all parties. Depending on the project size, an army of professionals and craftsmen carry out the duties.
If you want a better understanding of project management go to the Project Management Institute where I have received some of my training. They are a wonderful source for project management information.
Our universal reality is that a Project Manager are necessary to move a project from conception to completion. But how does this relate to Is Evolution A Theory? Simple.
Creating the Corvette was a project just like creating life on this earth. Remember the question above? Did you think that projects create themselves? Improving the Corvette each year with each modification as it evolved over the years were several projects. Did you think that a design modification just takes place without a project manager?
If you think that animals cooling systems, optical system, digestive system (and the list goes on) just happened without a project manager and yet you understand the significance of project management in the evolution of a Corvette and or the project of D-day, you are a client rather than a project manager.
Clients believe all project management task are easy, not expensive, and take little effort. A project manager I know once knew said that clients believe in magic except in their expertise.
Evolution demands a magic reality rather than a project management reality. No project just happens. A project is a change in an existing condition. The only way this happens is for a project manager to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control, and close the project.
The only other option is MAGIC.
Let me some it up another way. The below picture is what you get without a project manager:
