Donald Trump assassination attempt - a PM perspective

Video from Youtube LiveNOW from FOX channel

Been viewing with interest over the last few days, on the shocking assassination attempt on the previous President, and upcoming Presidential nominee, Donald Trump. As with all such events, there has been a lot of discussions on the postmortem from many sources on where the gaps were.

These are a few lessons and take aways, from a project management perspective, and my personal experience.

  • You are only as good as your current project.
    • No really cares on the 100's of events that went smoothly previously without any issues, when something breaks and processes fail.
  • No matter how well you plan, once the event starts, expect the unexpected, as anything can happen.
    • No planning will be perfectly executed.
  • Interlocks and communications are critical to project success.
    • Communications with resources outside your direct control, has to be more precise, and confirmation that the correct message and assignments need to be acknowledged and confirmed.
  • Check, check and check again.
    • Someone needs to take the role to check, check and check again, to confirm at every stage, that all the processes are being executed correctly, and resources are in the allocated places.
  • Beware of complacency and relaxing.
    • Just because nothing happened for a long time, it doesn't mean that nothing will happen now. 
  • Have a robust BCRP, and ensure all resources know their role in any situation.
    • When something happens, and a failure occurs, it is important to ensure that everyone is clear on their role to recover from the situation and are fully trained to fulfill that role.
Did I miss any other takeaways from a Project Management perspective?
Feel free to share your thoughts.

#pmandre


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The art of defect tracking - the perception of a good project

Image
Defects are all part of any project. How you manage them will determine how successful the project is perceived to be. You may have many defects but managed well, you can still give your customers / partners a perception that the project is going well. Why do I use the word perception ? Because inherently people's view on how things are going are based on perceptions. This may or may not be anchored on the reality of the situation. Part of the skill of a good project manager is marketing the situation at hand. With good marketing skills, a good project manager can create an illusion that the project is going well while sorting out issues in the background. More on this in later postings. Defects are essentially tasks that were not in the original project plan due to oversight or lack of planning. So instead of tasks to be done earlier in the project, these will need to be inserted into the plan later on in the project life cycle or even in post implementation phase. How ...
Read more

Human cost of overworking and toxic workplace culture

Image
Overworking and Toxic Workplace culture i is costing too many lives.  Life as it is ...  A friend of mine shared a post recently with great sadness, that highlighted the recent passing of 2 people in India, due to workplace stress and toxic workplace practices. Reading more into this topic, unfortunately I don't believe this is an issue that is isolated to India. The misalignment of corporate rhetoric and actual practices is unfortunately a reality. Leaders need to do more to promote better work practices, as well as to also set the example for aligning the expectations. Too many times the junior team members are looking at the seniors and trying to match their working styles which includes working more hours, just because they feel that that is the norm, and they will lose out if they don't do the same. Even when taking medical leave or any personal time out, practices like putting your mobile number in your out of office message, and asking people to contact you, I believe ...
Read more

Project Management Lessons from the Chinese New Year Lion Dance on Stilts

Image
Project Management Lessons from the Chinese New Year Lion Dance on Stilts As a project manager with several years of experience, I often find inspiration for leadership, teamwork, and execution in the most unexpected places. This Chinese New Year, while observing the preparation for a mesmerizing Lion Dance on stilts performance, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this ancient art form and the essential components of project management. Watching the performers rehearse with precision, dedication, and teamwork reminded me of the critical importance of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and collaboration during a project deployment. Here are some key takeaways: 1. Preparation Is Everything: The Foundation of Success The Lion Dance on stilts is a breathtaking display of acrobatics and cultural artistry. However, what most spectators don’t see is the extensive preparation behind the scenes. Each performer practices tirelessly, ensuring every move is synchronized, every jump calculated,...
Read more