New stuff arrives every day. This new stuff usually results from the determined efforts of a project team. In fact, a steady stream of new stuff comes from an army of project teams. But how often are we prepared for this new stuff? When we are not prepared, does that stop the new stuff from coming? Two letters: N O.
It comes and comes and keeps on coming. You see, one way to look at the project portfolio is that it is an extremely well-funded "new stuff machine."
I think that I have stumbled on a much better term that Project Portfolio. It's the "new stuff machine." I like this phrase for several reasons, but mostly I just like the word "stuff."
One question: "When we create new stuff, how well do we prepare the people who have to do something with it?" In my limited experience, we don't do this very well. The new stuff might be a new product, or a new upgrade, or a new collection of patches and fixes. Sometimes we call these things "enhancements." This is a great word since just about everyone wants to be enhanced.
But what about the poor suckers who have to handle the stead flow of "new stuff?" Who looks out for them? What do we do to ease their befuddlement?
I am as guilty as anyone else here. I want my "new stuff machine" to crank out more stuff faster and faster. I want more "enhancements" to hit the street. "More faster" I say in the meeting. "More faster" I whisper in the project managers' ears.
Here's what I think about this. We have to get better at anticipating the human impact of the New Stuff Machine (NSM) on a day-to-day basis. Do you monitor the downstream impact of your NSM? Do you think about the poor suckers who have to either catch or dodge what your NSM throws off?
I can promise you this: I am going to think a lot more about this from now on.
- Demian Entrekin
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