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This blog provides commentary, short posts of my thoughts on the main content of the site, reviews and other short-read material.
Also check out the Library, where you will find information on Principle-based Project Leadership and other key themes of my project management philosophy and practice.
Recent Posts
Recent posts by Adam across all categories. Please enjoy.
Posts by Adam
All my own work!

Making projects sexy again – The Manifesto for Action
In my last post, I summarised the 9 “meta-problems” blocking us from discussing and analysing project management. In this post, we’re moving in a different direction. Now I will look at what we can do to solve these meta-problems and build a broad and rich narrative about project management. Making ...
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Nine project management “meta-problems” that block us
I have now published yarns that each describe one of the nine (9) project management "meta-problems" that I believe we need to resolve before we can start making improvements to project management practice. This is a summary page for those 8 posts, with links to each. What is a Project ...
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Project management uses linear tools for non-linear situations
In my last post, I covered the lack of trust in organisations and how none of the tools or processes in project management addresses this problem. In this post, I’m looking at the inability of project management practice to deal with non-linear dynamics. We plan and execute projects linearly, but ...
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Project management and the no-trust mess
In my last post, I described the inability of project management to deal with the “quick fix” syndrome, whether or not it’s valid for any project. In this post, I’ll examine the lack of trust in organisations and how none of the tools or processes in project management addresses this ...
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Project management can’t help with the “quick fix” syndrome
In my last post, we saw the “disabling professions” establish a “one best way” in both traditional and agile project management. A different face of this problem is dealing with stakeholders who don’t recognise major parts of the orthodoxy. In this post, I’m covering the inability of project management to ...
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Project management as a disabling profession
In my last post, I presented the idea that project management uses outdated and obsolete principles. This post assesses whether professional societies are "disabling" to the effective application of project management skills to problem-solving and outcome development. Consider two questions: Has orthodox project management practice (as sanctioned by a professional ...
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The founding principles of project management are obsolete
In my last post, I addressed the issues of project management competence (or lack of it). In this post, I describe how the foundation concepts of project management practice are obsolete or unhelpful. This is the fifth project management "meta-problem". Ask yourself: how relevant and useful are core PM concepts ...
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The project manager as karate kid – wax off wax off?
In my last post, I described the third project management “meta-problem” as being the vast and unbounded dimension of project management. This post will cover the fourth meta-problem of project management: project management competence (or lack of it) and its implications. There are at least 1000 discrete elements in a ...
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Project Management – the Final Frontier
In my last post, I described the second project management “meta-problem”: that of dysfunctional fragmentation and confliction. In this post I describe the third “meta-problem” facing project management: the sheer size and scope of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the role of a project manager. You trekkies will ...
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Project management and the narcissim of small differences
In my last post, I described the first project management “meta-problem” of a narrow vision of project management. In this post I describe a second “meta-problem”: fragmentation, in that project management as a practice is unnecessarily and superficially fragmented and conflicted. This ranges from the various theories that emerge from ...
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Posts on Articles from other authors
This includes summaries and critiques of posts or resources from other sites and authors, as well as original posts by Adam.
- The category “Adam Reads” contains summaries and links to poasts and resources from other authors which I have tagged as of interest to my readership.
- The category “Adam Critiques” includes reviews of these other resources.
“Adam Reads” Reco: “Philip Glass & Arturo Bejar | Talks at Google”
Note: I've heard Philip Glass talk with his music for so many years now. I think, as with many people of my age, I was first exposed to his music via the film "Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance" and then went on to find more and more of his music. Now ...
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“Adam Reads” Reco: “The Value of One-to-One Customer Support for SaaS”
There are few things in the world more frustrating than contacting a general support line or email address and getting a new person each time. Whether you’re calling about cell phone service, auto insurance, or software support, we’ve all experienced the familiar frustration of sitting in a support queue before ...
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“Adam Reads” Reco: “6 Things Product Managers Should Do Before Building a Roadmap”
The product roadmap is the most essential document that your company can have. It shows what your product aims to achieve; how it will fulfill that achievement; and why your product will impact your company.----The product roadmap is one of the most essential documents your company creates. It shows what your product aims ...
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“Adam Reads” Reco: “Creating Digital Products & Services at The Guardian”
Nick Haley, Head of UX at Guardian News Media, joined us at ProductTank at the BBC to give us practical examples of how his team is becoming more agile and how digital products are iterated every day with real users, breaking his thoughts down into five core principles. 1 – ...
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The Product Manager vs. the Scrum Master
Scrum masters play a crucial role on product development teams. Scrum is the best-known and most widely-used agile software development framework. So, it is common for software development teams to include a "scrum master" -- someone who keeps the team accountable to business goals and removes productivity roadblocks. --- This ...
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Seth Godin Explains How Taking a Risk Is Actually the Safest Thing to Do These Days
The author, entrepreneur, marketer and public speaker reveals to "Behind the Brand" how your comfort zone and safety zone are two different things. --- This post originally appeared as - Seth Godin Explains How Taking a Risk Is Actually the Safest Thing to Do These Days ...
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Is Agile a Subset of Lean Manufacturing?
If you hang around agilists long enough, someone will mention lean manufacturing, Toyota Production System or Kanban. Since these concepts predate Agile, you might wonder how they relate, and perhaps why lean manufacturing wasn’t directly applied to software (until perhaps recently with Lean/Kanban). You might wonder whether Agile is just a ...
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30 Problems That Affect Software Projects
30 Problems That Affect Software Projects From Estimating Software Costs: Bringing Realism To Estimating, 2nd Edition. Initial requirements are seldom more than 50 percent complete Requirements grow at about 2 percent per calendar month during development About 20 percent of initial requirements are delayed until a second release Finding and ...
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What Is Management in the Context of Agile
« Project Breathalyzer | Main | 30 Problems That Affect Software Projects » April 17, 2016 What Is Management in the Context of Agile There's a meme going around in some parts of agile that management is inhumane. This is an extreme view of course, likely informed by anecdotal experience with ...
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