The Holy Wail

Project management professionals like to break down their expertise into knowledge areas and process groups. The knowledge areas are:

1. Integration management
2. Scope management
3. Time management
4. Cost management
5. Quality management
6. Human resources management
7. Communication management
8. Risk management
9. Procurement management

The process groups are:

1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and controlling
5. Closing

Read the book of Nehemiah and pick the knowledge areas and processes that Nehemiah used. Further blogs will cover the ones that I think he used – I’m not a pm btw.

• Who were the stakeholders?
• Who was Nehemiah trying to please?
• Who was the Sponsor?
• What was the scope?
• What was his budget?
• What was his schedule?
• What (or who) were the risks?
• Who made up his team?
• How was communication maintained? (internal and external)
• Where did each  team start and stop?

Nehemiah was a cup bearer to one of the Media-Persian kings and he had a special self-prescribed mission to restore Jerusalem’s gates and walls that had been broken during the Babylonian reign. Nehemiah was given permission, authority and provisions by the king to carry out his mission. The book of Nehemiah describes Jerusalem’s gates and walls and it also mentions the names of the people who repaired each part. No project is ever without its opponents, detractors and distractions – Nehemiah describes these also. Nehemiah was an extraordinary project manager.

Jerusalem holds some significance for the Jewish, Christian and Moslem faiths. They’ve been fighting over it for over a thousand years. Conquerors come and go – Babylonian, Greek, Egyptian, Roman and whoever else since. But that’s the big picture only. It’s when you look at the parts that make up the whole that things get more interesting. Among the little things there is a common theme that reappears, that if you respect Jerusalem and treat it right, you will be blessed.

Further blogs will make some attempt to expound on the significance behind the objects, names and events.

Have you been the victim of a scope change or moving goalpoasts? You get to the point where you think you’ve completed a job and then the boss, business owner, or sponsor changes the target.

Read Genesis 29:15 to 30 and Genesis 30:27  to 31:18

Jacob works for Laban for 7 years to acquire Rachel as his wife. At the end of 7 years Laban slipped in Leah instead.

Jacob agrees to work another 7 years for Rachel.

After the 14 years is up Jacob then agrees to work for Laban for the speckled and spotted goats and black sheep. But later that day Laban removes the speckled and spotted goats and sheep and the black sheep and gives them to his sons to look after, thereby robbing Jacob of his starter flock. God blessed Jacob regardless.

Goalposts get moved by strong parties all the time at will when there is no strong enforceable agreement or contract in place. It is quite likely that if one party changes the wages or the goalposts then the other party will respond with another scheme if they have confidence that they are right and have a powerful backer. It helps if God is your backer.

How many people would work seven years these days before collecting their wages. Wouldn’t that be open to abuse, just like some superannuation schemes that you hear of being looted by company bosses.

As much as it is in your power or ability to do so keep your promises, agreements and contracts. Even when it hurts – Psalm 15.