This is a outline why mind, complex systems and information visualization are essential topics to cover in understanding projects.
Reality doesn’t fit into our head. It is too complex for us to comprehend. Our mechanism to cope with this problem: we think “Gaussian”, we stereotype. It is the human need to categorize everything. We just have to put the world around us in neat boxes. And if we put things in the wrong box, the whole mechanism breaks down.
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We don’t thoroughly analyze a situation. We see “thin-slices” of reality. We draw conclusions from a narrow period of an experience. We sense “a pattern” we recognize in human interaction.
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Patterns are dynamic systems in action, a human system seen over a time period. Patterns are trends (time) and involve dependencies with other systems.
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To spot such trends in projects we use metrics as indicators. We need to learn to use them properly to assist in detecting potential problems. System View is a technique that is useful in this area. By looking at changes in variables (the metrics) one can refine the problem situation by using the several archetypes System View provides. By doing this, you are passing the superficial symptoms, and going straight for the problems heart.
Recommended article (PDF): Project Profiling With Systems Thinking
We use metrics as indicators. We need to visualize the data in such a way that trends and dependencies get visible. The Gantt chart e.g. is a bad example. Tufte presents a design for a project management interface that addresses some of the problems with rendering large Gantt Charts. He advocates splitting the chart into two views. At the top of the chart, you see the project timeline laid out in phases, with the current phase denoted with a unique color. On the bottom half of the chart, the local view basically zooms in on the current phase to display more detail.
Recommended posting: The Death Of Gantt Charts?