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Too Much Choice In Project Management



One of my main arguments about Project Management is that as a good professional you should know as many methods and techniques as possible. You should know their intentions and inner workings, you have a lot of options to choose from. After viewing this presentation from psychologist Barry Schwartz I am not sure any more if this is the way to go.

Too much choices make people unhappy and overwhelmed. So, although with multiple options you have a better chance of picking the better solution, the fact that you know you have better chances raises the expectations. If the expectations are not met, the whole enchilada backfires. Something like that. Have a look at this interesting presentation and make up your own mind. :)

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August 14th, 2007 | Category: Models, ProjectSociology, Videos |

3 Comments so far

  1. Anonymous August 14th, 2007 9:13 am

    hey, i'm vrey lucky discovering your website through google.com. After reading the artcles "Software Project Management" "Software Requirements Management", I've learned a lot of wonderful ideas from them. I am really enjoy reading these artcles.

  2. Pawel Brodzinski August 14th, 2007 5:30 pm

    I think the point where your attitude and Barry Schwartz's presentation differs is you say about choosing from different things you "know" while Barry says about choosing from different things you can "have". I think there was no place where Barry said that more knowledge makes us more clueless. Generally experience allows us to take better choices as we know what can work well in particular situation and what won't work at all. It's not about being content with the results - it's about dealing successfully with problems.

    And think for a moment - have you ever had dilemmas like that: We should have done risk management more MSF-like, because it would be better that way?

  3. bas August 15th, 2007 7:07 am

    I agree. Thanks for the pointer. Still, when i talk with fellow PM or customers about there not "being-one-best-way" project management, they still seem to prefer to stick to the list that Prince 2 e.g. provides. It is of course also possible that i need to improve my communication about the subject :)

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