ON THE EDGE
A Baker's Dozen of Holiday Classics and the Project Management Lessons They Teach
by Carl Pritchard, Pritchard Management Associates
A Baker's Dozen of Holiday Classics and the Project Management Lessons They Teach
by Carl Pritchard, Pritchard Management Associates
 | Home Alone The story of a team member left completely to his own devices, with no supervision, succeeding in the face of adversity. Lessons Learned: Stock the team refrigerator well. Provide direction. Tell the neighboring project managers to keep an eye on things. |
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 | A Charlie Brown Christmas The story of a self-managed work team putting on a major production with no visible management support. Lessons Learned: One team's dead twig is another's mighty fir. Don't discount the potential of team members who buy into a vision. |
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 | Holiday Inn The tale of one nefarious project manager scheming for the opportunity to get the resources of an honest, well-meaning project manager. Lessons Learned: The good guys ultimately win, if they sometimes resort to the bad guy's tactics. |
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 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas Another tale of unauthorized resource appropriation. Lessons Learned: Sooner or later, the resources have to go back to Whoville. And sooner or later the team members (Max) need a chance to ride, instead of pull, the sleigh. |
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 | A Christmas Story The story of a customer (Ralphie) who believes that wants have become needs. Lesson Learned: If the customer believes it, sooner or later, management believes it. |
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 | The Santa Clause The story of a man converted by a change in objective, direction and vision. Lesson Learned: Rapidly graying hair and an extra 40 pounds may accompany radical changes in direction. Learn to laugh about it. |
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 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer A jolly old project manager with high risks and short-term deliverables enlists unlikely resources in getting his project (and his sleigh) off the ground. Lessons Learned: Even the resources who don't fit the organization's mold (yes, even Yukon Cornelius) can bring something to the table. Also, allow time for reindeer games. |
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 | Miracle on 34th Street Another jolly old project manager finally gets formal authority, thanks to a court battle and the U.S. Postal Service. Lesson Learned: Authority is sometimes a function of sheer numbers of believers. Get enough people behind you and they'll believe you are the project manager. |
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 | Christmas Vacation A diligent team member is insulted by his corporate reward - the jelly-of-the-month-club. Lesson Learned: If you're a performer, work is its own reward. You'll get a lot more satisfaction out of throwing the switch on your own display than you will waiting for management to appreciate you. |
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 | Frosty the Snowman A visiting consultant vaporizes as a project heats up, vowing to return in more temperate times. Lesson Learned: There is no "magic hat." Consultants function because we believe in what they're doing. |
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 | White Christmas A major project is taken from New York and brought to the remote mountains of Vermont, where it restores hope to a man and an organization that disbanded years earlier. Lessons Learned: Some projects aren't about the money, but you still need to let management know when costs will exceed "ouch" or "wow." |
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 | It's a Wonderful Life A team member loses $8,000 to an unscrupulous customer, putting his manager in jeopardy. Every ally rallies round the manager to save him from prosecution and jail time. Lesson Learned: Quoting from the movie: No man is a failure who has friends. (And it doesn't hurt if they have a little cash...hee haw). |
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 | Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years' Eve Hundreds of thousands gather to watch the last ten seconds of a major project, televised to millions around the planet. Lesson Learned: If you're going to drop the ball, do it in style. |
Happy Holidays!
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