Top 10 Project Management Trends

I made it through "teams", "coaches", "TQM" and a few other fads that I have forgotten. I heard "paradigm" and "segue" so many times that I even learned that they were not spelled "paradyne" and "seagway". I was somewhat powerless because I didn't use the term "empowerment" in every other sentence. I even remember everyone trying to leverage the use of the word "leverage" into every conversation. I attended mandatory classes that used Brooks' book "The Mythical Man Month" and then found out that management does not want you to use anything from that book when you talk to them.

Why don't we start a new management fad and use phrases like "common sense", "long term planning" and "long term value"? Why isn't stockholder value more important than the management bonus based upon this quarter's numbers? Why don't we concentrate on having stable jobs five years from now?

I know, these are silly, old fashioned ideas. Sorry.

I think many clever people have discovered that it's more profitable to sell management theories than to actually build things.

The best theory I saw defined a manufacturing plant's "efficiency" as

eff = production worker hours/indirect worker hours. (Indirects being engineers, maintenance etc).

Someone pointed out if we removed all the robots and automation we could dramatically increase the "efficiency" but we'd go out of business. The really sad thing was that the senior manager, despite being an accountant, couldn't understand the equation enough to see why this was true.

Bruce, I agree with you and Will take one step forward. Common sense has been replaced.

It no longer exists. It seems these days everyone in charge is only concerned with the bottom line. I, on the other hand am deeply concerned with common sense and Arc Flash.

I choose to remain safe beyond what anyone I work for, and the answer is always no to them. They have no clue what power is. I will not or let my people do anything stupid to create Arc Flash. All this talk of, for the lack of a better word, Sh!t out of these folks mouths is just plain BS and I will ignore it for safety. My guys go home every day alive and safe to be with their families. No bean counter or anyone else will ever make me do something unsafe. I don't care who the speaker is, I don't care who the President is, I don't give a sh!t what any one says. The job will get done, and everyone goes home alive and well. It is time that "WE" take back our companies from the crap we have been dealt cards that are not playable by these sand bags that are infiltrating our management with all the crap they are descending upon them. We need to train our management of what to listen to and what not to and also the investors. If WE do not, we are doomed and all business will move off shore to those who will not make it home after the day is done. All these acronyms is just BS. If these folks can not speak, go home! Common sense must remain alive and well by what ever means is necessary.

Hi Bruce,

You describe what's happening when someone want to do something different which could be good or bad, but this is another question. Wall Street developed the adagethe with numbers only we can do something good in manufacturing and it goes to management too. Look Japanese management and compare to American administrative bodies. Both was created by Americans. One was distilled out by E. Deming, Crosby, and others. The other was created by bean-counters. We are not manufacturing numbers ($ = dollars), we are making products and services.

Common sense and other management principles are already established by certain groups (chartered accountents) because everyone CEO, managers, and stockholders want only numbers, they put money in the company and they want back only money more than they put in.

Bruce, the stockholders, CEOs, and most managers they want better life, more money, and to obtain all these things, they not caring about who make the money.

Don't worry, the Chineses and Indians do already and will do like we do here. What's the solution? I don't have the answer but I do in my business my way to make a reasonably good living to everyone, Gil.