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.

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the great summary. Yes, I think the solution to the problem of changing requirements lies basically in education and training. The sources of the problems can be found in 1) lack of knowledge about true cause-effect-chains, and 2) mimicking the behavior of a certain group of people to be associated with that group. Proper training for Project Managers and stakeholders should reduce the negative effects of requirement changes.

Stereotype Australia photography by Reinn.

You mention Prince 2 and PMP for Project Managers and CAPM accreditation for general project stakeholders as an example of available education. Although I think our business world needs accreditation, it will only solve a very small part of the problem. Three kinds of "training", "coaching", "support" or whatever form is chosen, are needed:

1. Educating people in generic "HOW": How is a project done? What is typically expected of a certain role? This is to provide complete novices some guidelines and to create a common language among people involved.
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On this blog I talk a lot about the need for people to be able to see different perspectives on matters. An impressive example of this is shown in the video below
(if you read the RSS feed, you need to visit this post to view). In it an American programmer goes 30 days to Bangalore, India to work over there. He is laid off in the US, his job was outsourced to Bangalore. He starts out with a very angry attitude ("Dude! Give my job back!") and returns with a more mild perspective on things.

If you are from the US (or Europe) this video may be an eye opener. If you are from India, I am interested what your sentiments are regarding this video.

BTW this video might take some time to load. Part 1 and Part 2.

Thanks to Tim Ferris for pointing out this video.

People that work in groups (project, organization, society as a whole) have to cope with change. The more effective you are in this area, the more success you will have in this ever morphing world. This is a short outline of how people effectively cope with change.

Photography by Sabrina's Stash.

Humans In Groups Are Systems

"Whatever your take is on projects, at the end of the day it is just a bunch of people working together to achieve a certain goal. During this endeavor to laugh, cry, pull pranks, play dirty tricks and have all other kind of behavior towards each other." (source)
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My monthly column at TechTarget is up:

"But even when the (reputation) system is working properly, even when transparency makes sure people's behavior will be noted around the globe, this doesn't mean you can reap the benefits for your project or business. With a good reputation there is a lot to gain, but having a bad rep puts a lot at stake. So people will play things safe. They will create low-risk behavior, ultimately resulting in mediocrity…"

Read the entire column.

This time in my series "Proud Postings" it's Elizabeth Harrin from A Girl's Guide to Managing Projects in the spotlights. She is the author of "Project Management in the Real World" and lives in the UK. I asked her: "What are the 3 postings you are most proud of?"

"The first two pieces I picked out make the cut because they both involved a lot of research. I don't rely on other people's analysis of the situation when I write; I make every effort to go to the source material myself so I can make my own judgements and really get perspective on the issue."

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