Squaring the Circle: The Bermuda Triangle of Project Management

                                                     Time                        Functionality

                                                                     Cost

All projects could be considered knowledge management issues. Failed projects all share one common but major  issue

                           They fail to meet customer expectations

This wisdom may see to come from the Institute of the Bleedin' Obvious but it is remarkably often overlooked at the most vital stage of any project-right at the start.

Always ask yourself which of the above 3 factors is the decisive issue  in determining the end of the project i.e. when does it end?

Answer: When the money runs out - then it is  Cost

Answer : By a certain date/deadline   then  Time is crucial

Answer: When a certain standard/quality is achieved i.e.  it is a Functionality issue

So when you sit down and agree with the project sponsor to agree   how things will proceed you must know how it  will end i.e. the Exit Strategy. Ask the sponsor When do you want it done by? To what standard? And at what cost? If they can't tell you this and you can't tell them, you should not touch that project  with a disinfected bargepole, it is doomed.  If things still seem a bit vague,  revealing insights can be simply asking " What is it that you *DON'T* want? I.e. what must be avoided at all costs?

Even when you think all parties  have agreed the outcomes be wary of Project Creep, so called because it is usually perpetrated by project creeps. These are people who alter or expand goals and objectives  usually without telling you and often without giving you any extra time or resources whilst demanding the same quality. So back to that triangle. Altering one side of the triangle forces you to change the other two sides, which in turn alters the overall size and area; Pythagoras grasped this  very early on, so should  you, especially if you intend to do projects.