Does Having a Project Management Methodology Matter?

Today, most businesses run on a project management methodology or a combination of them. You’ve probably heard of many of them: Kanban, Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, XP, or a hybrid like Scrumban (to name a few). But you may be asking yourself: Does having a project management methodology matter?

Firstly, let’s clearly define project management methodology, which I will describe as any model applied to design, plan, implement and achieve project objectives within your organization. I cannot emphasize the importance of project management enough.

I feel this way because it is THE route by which a company’s leadership and management can identify the most efficient way to plan, initiate, and execute its projects. You can have the most fantastic team of individuals working for you, as well as more than ample resources at your disposal. But if you do not have a set—and feasible—plan to put labor and resources into action in the most productive way, you can end up failing to reach some (maybe even all) of your goals. No one wants this, which is why it is so important to have a plan in place—a measured and clear method to follow.

That being said, deciding to implement a project management methodology is only the beginning (think of it as step one). This is because once you have decided on adopting a methodology, there are countless models to choose from—each specific to address the most pressing and pertinent needs of your outfit.

No one project management methodology will fit every company. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works for one business (or even project in itself) could fail miserably and be incompatible with the unique needs of another.

Also of note: Depending on what your business does, or how militant the PM and Ops team are, will depend on how rigidly methodologies are used. For example, if you work in tech, there is a good chance you use some form of Agile or something that came from it.

The bottom line is that consulting at many businesses has shown me if there is no methodology in place, everything is a mess. But my original question remains: Do we need to rigidly stick to a methodology? And, if so, which one should you be using? 

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the different types of PM methodologies out there today (among the estimated 8,462 to choose from).

What is Waterfall Methodology?

Among the most traditional approaches to project management is what is known as the Waterfall Method. With this approach, tasks and phases are completed in a linear, sequential manner, where you must complete each project step/stage before moving on to the next step/stage. 

The Waterfall Methodology Entails:

• Linear Projects
• Start to Finish Management
• One Stage Finished Before the Next Begins
• Things Not Done Out of Sequence

What is Agile Methodology?

For those who were not too pleased with the linear approach of traditional project management methodologies, which they saw as severely limited, Agile Methodology was introduced as an alternative route. And what was different about Agile?

In a nutshell, Agile is more adaptable to a project’s changing needs as it evolves. It’s collaborative, quick, and open to data-driven change. As such, it makes sense that this methodology most commonly is characterized by short phases of work that involve near-constant testing, reassessment, and adaptation along the way (think of it as analysis while evolving).

Basic Tenets of Agile:

• Used in early IT, where the “product” was liable to change
• Work is done in phases to avoid bottlenecks and backlogs
• The more jobs that are in progress, the more unidentifiable the backlogs
• Involves stakeholders in the equation

What is Scrum Methodology?

One form of the above-mentioned agile project management methodology is Scrum, where project work is divided into shorter cycles (called sprints) that usually last roughly a week or two each. As for the work itself, it is generally taken from the backlog also mentioned above.

The Principles of Scrum:

• Work is done in sprints
• Daily scrums are performed to check the team’s progress
• Principles of agile are applied 
• Sprints are short (no longer than two weeks)

What is Kanban?

Another form of agile is called Kanban; its name came from the term used in the manufacturing industry, which has become synonymous with a framework where tasks are visual—their progress being traced via columns on what is called a Kanban board. This method also pulls work continuously from the backlog to move it through the columned path of progress.

Kanban is especially great for all you visual thinkers. It allows everyone working on the project a visual overview of the current status of all components, which aids exponentially in project management.

The Tenets of Kanban:

• Based on Agile Scrum
• Work visually represented on boards
• Allows visualization on works in progress
• Used in tech and complicated projects

Fun Side Note: Silicon Valley fans may have seen this in progress at the Pied Piper “Incubator.” 

How Do I Know Which One is Right for My Organization?

This is where it gets tricky. After all, who is to say where one methodology works better than another? And for that matter, does one actually work better?

The short answer is yes, but the caveat is that it depends on what you’re doing. We still haven’t even covered PMI or PMBOK methodologies, all of which have a place in today’s professional world. Suffice to say, it gets confusing knowing what to do on any given project, and if you don’t have a straightforward course of action, people inevitably bump heads while fumbling around.

To succeed today, a team’s methodology MUST:

• Be flexible
• Be collaborative
• Be agile (I know, big groan)
• Be remotely accessible
• Be manageable

These are not simply nice things to have. They are must-haves. But before you make any solid decisions, be sure you have someone experienced that knows what they’re doing. To get you started, here is a quick and easy checklist you can go through before making a final call: 

• What is my project?
• How involved do my stakeholders want to be?
• Is my timeline flexible?
• What is my industry?
• Is my budget likely to change, or is it rigid?
• How complicated is my project?
• How long is my project?
• Is my project going to scale in scope or size?  Is change allowed?

Answering these simple questions will help you and your team decide which methodology best fits your needs.

So, back to my original question: Do I know if a methodology really matters? The answer is that I have seen some work in situations that shouldn’t have succeeded, and then I’ve seen some flop in situations that should have excelled. It all comes down to people in the end—how invested they are, how motivated they are, and how well they work together. 

That might not have been the answer you wanted to hear, but it drives the point home that I often make: People are your greatest resources, so you need to invest accordingly.