Some weeks ago I had to introduce new IT employees into the magical world of Project Management methods. These guys were completely new to the industry, so references to "real project life" were not going to save me (like it normally does :)).

I finally came up with the following start to kick of the training. It broke the ice and it worked very well. So if you are looking for an opener for your presentation, this might help you out.

Photography by j / f / photos.

The application that I used was "Google Earth" . BTW That looks great on big screens I used the zoom and slide function to talk about how methods limit your view, how you can choose to watch details, or how you can go for a global perspective. But using one limits you. So be aware of the level that is under attention.

Then I switched to Russia (as a former…) and to China: communism. Everything is regulated and the state plans everything for you. Has its benefits and has its drawbacks (no comments please!). This is what plan-driven approaches are all about.

Switch to US: almost free market. Everything will take care of itself. Only regulation when really needed. Has its pros and cons. This is agile.

Of course, my text was much more entertaining, and yes you take a lot of short cuts with this analogy… but it sticked! And it was immediate fun and recognizable … things you don't get to often treating this boring subject…