Well, Management is no longer is seen as a separate subject in modern era and unless we see it is integrated in every thing that we do, we won't succeed. There had been lot of management theories, approaches and propagation of various styles through the history - so let us just take a microscopic view of Project Management which is considered specialized kind of management owing to the nuances that only a project an bring in!!
Project Management body of knowledge had brought out 6 knowledge areas originally which gradually became 10 and then they decided give focus on the target areas which they termed as performance domains. Me being old school prefer to go over the knowledge areas which is the root of knowledge on which domains can prettily sit.
Which is the most important aspect of management ?
Is it Integration, Scope, Schedule (earlier called Time), Cost, Quality, Resource (earlier Human Resource), Communications, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder Management? Which one can be considered as hallmark of management?
It is easy to take one at a time and justify it as the supremely important one and interpret all others as lesser impactful. In fact, the reason why 6 knowledge areas eventually enlarged to 10 is just because the PMI (Project Management Institute) felt something was getting more and more important and so had to be split up in order for better rationalization of importance across various knowledge domains.
If we go by the inter-connectivity, we can see many of the knowledge areas are connected and either upstream or downstream to certain other activities. At certain stages of project, few of the knowledge areas take dominant role (and few may even get irrelevant). Depending on ground realities, few of the knowledge areas get more limelight than others. Last but not the least, the Project Manager's expertise could determine the importance of some of the knowledge areas based on his approach and style.
Leaving aside the subjectivities, think about it in an objective manner and tell me sincerely which one is most critical?
One learned gentleman - whose genius cannot be debated - came out with a pearl that stakeholders management is most crucial since people are involved and it has lot of dynamics.
Where is people not involved?
Yes, the proof of pudding is in the eating and stakeholder management score in that aspect since their perception hold good than what is the reality, but can a project manager just focus on the tip of ice berg?
Think of one management area which is unlimited. Every damn knowledge area - not with reference to the subjectivities of a project - has a limit. The list of stakeholders is a finite list, every project has a budget on cost, procurement and time, has assigned resources, may have lot of risks during the implementation time but still a FINITE number if you look deeply.
Are you getting the one area of management where there is literally no frame at all, which has infinite moments for application, and which cannot be attributed as a side activity or support activity ?
Yes, I just meant scope management. There could be multiple stakeholders and numerous team members in the team still each one has their scope, but it is the project manager who has truly unlimited scope to take up the questions and concerns coming from all directions and to take ownership of everything.
True, there could be few things thrown at him which are out of his scope, but he cannot get the benefit of doubt unless he absolves himself that these things are out of his project's scope.
I have an analogy here in a completely different dimension. Sadh guru has talked about 5 elements of nature in various discourses - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space... and while being eloquent on various elements and how they are important in their own way, he goes out of bounds when he starts talking about Akashic element or space. He says that if only a human being could imbibe a fraction of the intelligence from space, he will be a superman in truest sense because it is this element of nature which - not just makes things happen in their way - but also put things in in their place. Yes. the fact that I am sitting right now and typing this with the comfort of seat is just the magic of the gravitational force that Akash / space offers.
So, that's all I had. I felt scope management is like space - it is omni present and fills up everything else that we can identify with all other knowledge areas. It is omni potent to ensure every single ripple of thought of project manager to get translated to project success.
Scope management is a knowledge area rather a practice arena where Infinitism becomes way of life - not just project management but at the level of human consciousness itself.
