ON THE EDGE
A Visit from the Project Manager
(Twas the Night before the PMP® Exam)
With apologies to Clement Clark Moore
By Carl Pritchard, PMP
Twas the night before testing,
and all through the team
Not a member was stirring, --nor working, it seemed
The prep work was done by the students with care,
In hopes that their efforts some fruit it would bear.
The hopefuls were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of PMP®s danced in their heads;
And PMBOK®s in storage, and quiz books at rest,
We all settled in for one night 'fore the test.
When out of my pocket I heard that loud beep
I fished for my cell phone that ruined my sleep.
I grabbed for my glasses and reached for my slacks
And prayed for some life left in battery packs.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Meant some risk event caused by delays, don't you know.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a man with a Gantt chart, and books piled up to here,
Yes, that little old PM, so lively was he,
I knew in a heartbeat, it was Sir PMP®
More jargon than techies he had at his hand,
And the authors of project-stuff at his command,
"Now, Kerzner! now, Cleland! now, Verma and Fleming!
On, Meredith! Mantel! on, Ward, Frame, and Deming!
To the PDM Chart! to the WBS!
Now analyze! Quantify! Estimate! Guess!"
"As tough bosses can make the wild estimates fly,
So on the exam make your best guess, just try,"
So onward to Sylvan the testers they flew,
With their heads full of data, and their ID cards, too.
And then, in four hours, from the test centers came
The moaning and praying of testers in pain.
I clipped on my cell phone, was turning around,
The first scores of PMPs came with a bound.
They were bathed in a glow, from their plan to their charter
They all seemed much brighter, much better, much smarter.
A command of the tools from the PMBOK® had they
And a sense of the processes-Z back to A.
Their scores-how they tallied! They PASSED! It was heaven
And they didn't mind it was by 137.
Their coats now had pins just above the lapel
The PMP® logo was there for to tell
They endured the challenge, and bore the good news
Their lives now revolved around "more PDUs"
The credential they wore like a warrior's medal
Their project they knew now would be in fine fettle.
Sir PMP® nodded, so proud of his students
He knew they'd stick to their professional prudence,
He knew that they'd dig in and make this all work,
WBS, and Gantt, and Earned Value and PERT,
He rolled up his risk plan and he praised the new passers,
"You folks are the best, all the new project masters.
And I heard him exclaim, ere his plan was delayed,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, YOU HAVE ALL MADE THE GRADE."
Carl Pritchard is the co-creator (with J. LeRoy Ward) of The Portable PMP® Prep: Conversations on Passing the PMP® Exam. He is PMP® #1049, and is a PMI® Registered Education Provider. Complaints on his rhyming scheme can be forwarded to his e-mail at carl@carlpritchard.com.
PMP® and PMBOK® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
©Copyright 2000-2008 Emprend, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About us Site Map View current sponsorship opportunities (PDF)
Contact us for more information or e-mail info@projectconnections.com
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy