Dear Craig – On Project Management Communities

Craig Brown writes a blog at BetterProjects.net. Craig and I are regular readers of each other’s sites and now we are having a conversation from site to site.

Dear Craig,

A while ago we were discussing the idea of a project shrink: “A person is engaged by a project manager on a part time basis to help the project manager see above the day to day drams and look at the big picture.” Projects are complex, the speed is amazing, the information overwhelming, a project shrink would assist in reflection and guidance. “With a project shrink I was thinking more along the lines of relationship therapy. Without having all details, you can improve a situation by means of having guided counseling.”

Photography by Johnny Jet.

In your previous post you raised to point of getting funding for such a role, and made a comparison with “executive coaching”. I agree with your remark that if you are hired as a Project Manager, your customer will be reluctant paying for your shrink. You left me with two questions: “Are you using a project shrink? And if not, what do you need to enable the role for you and your projects?”

My initial answer was “no – not using a project shrink”. But later it dawned upon me: for reflection I blog extensively, the resulting discussions (like this one) provide me with new insights, being part of several PM communities sharpens my professional soul. Yes, yes… I am using a project shrink!

To stick with the analogy of psychology, you can make use of an expensive private shrink, you can buy a lot of self-help books and do-it-yourself, or you can become a member of self-help-groups, communities of people in the same position. Nothing wrong with a private shrink, heck, it’s fabulous if you can afford one. DIY might be low cost and have easy access, but it would never be as effective as the third option, which can also be very low cost. “Project shrink” might not be a role, perhaps it is best seen as a function.

Photography by MacKaySavage.

It is absolutely correct that a customer is not going to pay for your training or coaching. You should take care of that yourself, it should be covered by your fees. But this is only valid from the perspective that the organization is not your employer. This is from the view that you are an independent talent that is hired to take part on a specific project.

Companies As Organizers, Not Employers

Having to make a guess for the near future, I think this is the most likely view we can take. British management guru, Charles Handy, summed it up: “Organizations will be critically important in the world, but as ‘organizers’, not ‘employers’!” Independent, global talent is attracted by companies to perform a specific job for a shorter period. Customers go to companies to avoid the hassle of having to attract talents themselves, and for a more sustainable relationship in the future. It is the rise of the “Professional Service Firm” (PSF) as Tom Peters has been describing for years. (I really recommend everyone to read his free ebook “Project05″ (PDF download))

For a PSF to work, it needs to attract the best talent available. The best talent will only work for you if you have WOW Projects: projects with live changing goals, Stuff That Matters! People that are good at their job, take pride in their work. Those are the same people that automatically are part of a professional community. It’s like, if you are an actor, you certainly have a shrink. It comes with the job. If you are a “Talent” you have the build in professional network.

Letting Go Of Control – Again

The only thing an organization can and should do, is stimulate the membership of “external” professional “self-help” groups. Don’t try to regulate it. With this conclusion, the bigger challenge is not getting money, but convincing people to let go of control. Again.

Craig, are you a member of Business Analysis communities? What are your opinions about the idea of companies as ‘organizers’, not ‘employers’?

Bas and Craig have a conversation, back and forth on their respective blogs, Project Shrink and Better Projects. With blog titles like that, you don’t have to guess what the topic will be. Feel free to join in.