The tour of project planning, and how it varies depending on the project’s context is complete. There are just a few points we would like to share.
It turns out that project managers do have a natural preference for one approach to project management over the others—and this varies from project manager to project manager. When there is a good match between the project type and project manager, then things are easier. If the match is poor—problems! Given this, naturally, the next question is: Is there such a thing as a professional project manager? Can you develop project managers to manage appropriately, irrespective of the type of project they find themselves managing? The short answer is that you can. Not everyone, and sometimes not easily, because it is about attitudes as well as knowledge and skill, but it can be done. It goes a long way beyond knowledge of a method.
What seems to be a distinguishing characteristic of high-performance project managers is that they recognize and adapt their approach to planning and execution of projects in line with the different challenges. The planning approach varies as we have discussed and the plans created are not interchangeable between projects. If the conditions of success for a project changes, the project needs to be re-planned.
The different conditions of success for these types of projects affect the way that CPPRRSS model is used. The differences are summarized in Figure 9.1.
Figure 9.1 Planning approach based on constraint type
We leave you then with two final thoughts. Project management, despite its checkered history of success, is the most influential management approach of the twentieth century, and many great things have been done using it. Gaining mastery over uncertainty by using plans to shape the world; structuring the work people do and ordering the environment to make things possible, gives a great sense of accomplishment and is a wonderful feeling. We suggest you go and enjoy it.