Published: 17 December 2020
Someone asked what Project Management concepts relate to building a snowperson? I came up with the following:-
Schedule
- Fixed start time (you need the snow).
- Completion time is variable as the project evolves through several iterations.
Scope
- Doesn’t need much briefing as most people 5 years or older know intuitively what to do.
- Very iterative process as size, scale and features evolve during the building.
Benefits
- Very high. Immediate delight and joy.
- But value degrades over time and then disappears so no long-time benefit.
Outcome
- Clear when the initial minimum viable product has been delivered but enhancements can be added through the life of the project.
Risk assessment
- Risk – a damp and cold environment can be very unpleasant.
- Risk – small people getting buried
- Note - both risks are usually accepted by the responsible authority.
Team
- Whoever is around at the time; no training needed
- True Collaboration in getting the main structure built.
- Then individual inspiration and creativity take over.
Material
- One main consistent material, common in every structure.
- Creative and innovative materials used for the features.
Quality control
- If rules and help are required, there is a body of knowledge: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Snowman
Outcome
- A snowperson was built using snow and features enhanced according to team and user feedback.
Reflective thought
Do we agonise too much over scoping some small, short-term projects? If we allowed the creativity, flexibility and intuition of our snowperson-building persona to come to the fore would we get more engagement and just as much benefit?
