“Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown (. . .)
The times they are a changin’” – Bob Dylan
Those lyrics may have been written in 1964, but they are just as true now as they were then. Between the relentless forward march of technology and our ever-tightening global economy, most professional disciplines have had to figure out how to swim in the “growing waters.”
Project management is no different.
For many decades, project management was thought of, and taught, in terms of the traditional or Waterfall method of project delivery: activities flow in a steady, one-way stream from Initiating on to Planning, then to Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and finally to Closing. The Project Management Institute (PMI)®, the premier organization of project management standards, has supported that approach through the first five editions of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)®. For most project managers, this is all they had ever known or worked with.
Then the new millennium dawned. Suddenly competition lurked in every quadrant of the globe. Serving the customer happened at the speed of a mouse click. And the development of information resources and client services went into hyperdrive. Those companies that didn’t adapt their business model would not survive; hence, the management of the projects supporting those adapting business models needed to change as well.
In this fast-paced new world, ‘just enough’ on a recurring basis appeared to meet the customer’s need. Change became the norm rather than the exception. Project managers discovered that it was becoming harder and harder to deliver a timely and compelling final product with a strict Waterfall-only approach. Something new, flexible, and exciting began to emerge– Agile.
It was not until September 2017, with the release of PMBOK® Version 6, that PMI included an acknowledgement of the Agile alternative method of project management. Now we at Solarity are excited to offer our first in-person training class focused on these more adaptive delivery models.
The New Normal
Our Introduction to Agile Project Management course provides students with a solid understanding of the fundamental building blocks of Agile, focusing on the concepts, terms, tools and techniques required to successfully complete Agile projects. As with all of our courses, the Agile course is taught by skilled, experienced project managers. Students are invited to use their own projects for the “hands-on” exercises, which means they leave class with a head start on succeeding with the real-world Agile project they are or will soon be managing.
For those project managers who, by industry or corporate mandate, continue to deliver projects in a more traditional or Waterfall environment, or who may find themselves using a combination of traditional and Agile approaches, please read my blog about our game-changing course Best Practices in Project Management.
One size does not always fit all in the clothing industry, nor does it in project management. Having a thorough understanding of both the traditional waterfall and Agile paradigms will allow you, as a project manager, to utilize the most appropriate approach(es) for the specific project you need to complete.
At Solarity, we are excited about continuing to expand our course offerings to meet the needs of our students. If one of these courses does not fill your project training needs, we invite you to search our extensive list of course offerings, email us at info@Solarity.com or call us at 888-272-4494. We can help you select the right class or even customize one for you.
As always, our goal is to provide the right solution to maximize value for you and your organization.
And we’ll continue to do so, even as the times keep on a changin’.
About the Author
Glenn Thomas, PMP®, is a Project Manager and Trainer with Solarity, helping our clients achieve their strategic goals by assessing their current situation, defining their desired future state, and then acting upon an approved plan to help them reach their desired outcomes. Before joining Solarity, Glenn served as the Director of IT Governance for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is a member of both the global organization & local chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI)®, and has served on the Board of the PMI Bluegrass Chapter as a past President and VP of Communications. Glenn possesses a wealth of experience and knowledge in Project Management, Strategic Planning, and Governance, and we are excited for him to be a part of our team.
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