Author: Michael Shearwood
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The Dark Side of Project Management (Side 3)
How do you stop projects from sliding into the dark side? In this final part of the trilogy, I explore practical ways to manage risk, align people, and keep the pieces fit so the whole project holds together.
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Too Many Tickets: When Scope Creep Crowds the Train
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”… George Bernard Shaw The train was hired with a simple purpose: to take the invited guests from London to Edinburgh for the wedding. The carriage seats were counted, the catering was ordered, and the crew knew exactly what it would take…
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The Dark Side of Project Management (Side 2)
If time and money are the obvious challenges in project management, they’re only the start. Just as Dark Side of the Moon moves deeper into themes of risk, madness, and resolution, projects too have their hidden depths. Which brings me to risk. Pink Floyd captured it in The Great Gig in the Sky: “And I…
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Smoke Signals and Red Flags: Reading the Warning Signs Early.
Spot problems early. A crisp checklist of project red flags—plus first moves to steady the course.
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The Dark Side of Project Management (Side 1).
The other evening I was listening to Dark Side of the Moon — an album I’ve returned to countless times. Growing up, Pink Floyd seemed to be a permanent feature in my life. What struck me that evening in my contemplative revelry wasn’t just the music but the way it had been assembled. I remember reading at…
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Accidental Odyssey: Tickets, Trains and Miscommunication
HMS Active F171 – Type 21 Frigate also known as … “The sleek grey messenger of death.” Unknown Not every journey begins with a clear destination – and some don’t even end where they’re supposed to. It was 1977, I was in the Gulf of Mexico aboard HMS Achilles and had just learned that I…
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White Light: Between Superstition and Revelation
Orbs of light have been seen as spirits, signs, or unexplained phenomena – straddling the line between superstition and revelation. “Silent white light filled the world … it does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it – Carl Sagan For centuries, mysterious orbs of light have appeared…
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Project Delivery: ‘A Train Ride With No Room To Drift’
“The farther you go wrong, the harder it is to get back on track” C. S. Lewis So let’s begin our project journey with a purpose. We have been given a project to transport 100 special guests to the wedding of the year by train. We know the starting point is London, and the destination,…
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Where are you going? – Defining the Project’s Purpose
‘If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there’ Lewis Carroll The above off-cited but not-quite-accurate quote is from Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale, Alice in Wonderland. In Carroll’s altered reality, the conversation between the disoriented Alice and the mysterious Cheshire Cat actually went like this: “Would you tell me,…
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Setting Sail: The Journey Begins
‘A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor – in projects or in life’ From warship decks to project boardrooms, I’ve learned that the principles of good planning and quick thinking apply everywhere. ‘The Pieces Fit’ is where I share stories – from the sea, from work, and from life – and the lessons they…
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