Being a Project Manager is quite an unglamorous job.
Especially when you work with a Consulting Partner or an SaaS company.
You’re not that rock star Architect, or the suave and charismatic Consultant.
You’re the one who must say no to the Stakeholders, or to manage requirements.
You’re the one who is tasked with:
– making money from the client (to keep your boss happy)
– keeping project to budget (to keep the client happy)
Sometimes a very difficult task as it can be mutually exclusive if you are surrounded by unreasonable people.
Sometimes, if you’re working for an organisation whose sales and delivery units are not aligned, then you get sales people who will promise the client the moon on a stick, and then force you to deliver it.
Rock and a hard place.
What then, do you do?
I go back to basics of immutable law, one of which is the Project Manager’s Iron Triangle.
Good, Cheap, Fast.
You really can’t have all three.
Most people want Cheap and Fast. And pray that the outcome will be ‘Good Enough’.
This is the same for Amazon, Tesco, broadband services, Fast food.
And also CRM Projects.
Best case: You just might get ‘Good Enough’.
Worst case: A big steaming pile of doodoo that will still smell like holy hell, long after the mess has been cleaned up.
Especially if you have fragile nostrils of daintiness like me*. 😷
—
#projectmanagement
#irontriangle
#zenhaoprotip
#integrity