In a world where rapidly advancing technologies, shifting market landscapes, and ever-growing customer expectations prevail, the practice of project management has reached (some might argue crossed beyond) a crossroads. The traditional, linear approach to managing projects, with its detailed, rigid project plans, has lost its relevance and effectiveness. So, too, has organizational change management and it’s various linear, “paint-by-numbers” frameworks, with a similar heavy emphasis on detailed planning and analysis, moved toward futile irrelevance.

For much of the latter 20th century, the traditional approach to project management served as a relatively reliable and effective method for delivering projects, with the target of being on time and within budget. This approach was characterized by fastidiously crafted plans, comprehensive Gantt charts, and a strict adherence to predefined processes and procedures. It was a world where every aspect of a project was carefully planned, and deviations from the plan were viewed as hindrances to be avoided at all cost.

As technology projects grew in complexity and uncertainty, however, traditional project management methods proved inadequate. Despite the addition of complementary change management practices, the needle failed to move on project success rates. Budget and schedule overruns became the norm rather than the exception.

Even the Project Management Institute, the global arbiter of project management practice, has embraced these shifts in the Seventh Edition of its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and promoted a move toward a more principle-based, rather than process-based, approach to project management. In the place of the rigid approaches of the past, a new pattern has emerged. This pattern is what I refer to simply as “fuzzy project management.”

Fuzzy project management represents a departure from the outdated and a leap into the unknown. It discourages the futility of obsessive planning is, instead, guided by a set of three core principles:

Adaptability

In the fuzzy project management world, adaptability is paramount. Project teams must be prepared to pivot, iterate, and adjust their strategies in response to an evolving environment. This elasticity acknowledges that change is not a deviation from the plan but an inherent part of the journey.

Flexibility

Flexibility is closely tied to adaptability. Instead of rigidly adhering to predefined, detailed project plans, fuzzy project management embraces the idea that flexibility will lead to superior outcomes. It encourages project managers and team members to experiment, learn from mistakes, and make adjustments in real-time.

Human Agency

At the heart of fuzzy project management lies the concept of human agency. It recognizes that project teams are comprised of not merely cogs in a machine but dynamic individuals capable of making informed decisions. Empowering these individuals to exercise their agency is essential for navigating the complexities of modern projects.

In the next several posts, we will delve deeper into these principles and concepts, exploring their practical applications. We will see how they shape the way we plan, manage, and complete technology projects in this fuzzy, wuzzy world.