During the recent recession and slow down of IT industry in particular, one of my friends working in an MNC told me that he would join Fire Force if he lot his job because, his job in the organization was to fight fire!
In fact, there is an unofficial Fire Force within every organization which is an elite club. One can find the best of people in the organization serving as Firefighters. Anything can catch fire: project, customer relationship, vendor relationship, people relationship, investor relationship… the list goes on. The most inflammable of all is project.
Every component of a project including (poor) project planning, project (mis)management, (poor) quality of resource and (lack of) technical skills can create necessary friction and produce sufficient heat to set the project on fire.
Sales folks have their own contribution. Unrealistic delivery commitments can create tremendous amount of pressure on every department of the project.
Even customers can contribute to the fire. Ill informed customers can make unrealistic demands. Their ever-changing requirements can set off a chain reaction in the system creating pressure and friction everywhere.
What is primarily at stake when a project is on fire is the pride of the company. Unfortunately, unlike a real fire which can be felt by the light and heat it generates, and is most often noticed at the beginning, a project fire is invisible and is felt only after it creates substantial damage. By the time Firefighters are called in, it would be a herculean task to control it. But, the Firefighters have no option but to douse the fire as the company’s pride is at stake!
What makes the Project Firefighters greater heroes than the real Firefighters is the fact that the former fights with no real tools and equipments in hand. The most important tool they have is their instinct. The other tools are endurance and perseverance. There are various special tools: technical and non-technical skills that are suitable for the nature of the fire.
The irony is that, it is seldom easy to differentiate a Firefighter from someone who is creating the fire. If you find a person working long hours in office and while away from office, attending continuous phone calls, be certain that he / she is either dousing a project fire or setting a project on fire. It will need experienced eyes and ears to spot the difference.
Coming to the key question: is it possible to fire-proof projects? This is a question that software gurus have been trying to answer ever since the advent of software projects. They have created not one, but several solutions - each one suitable for a certain type of project but none capable of providing 100% protection.
No matter which solution you adopt, the Firefighters are here to stay.
Disclaimer
The article has no intention to degrade any person, role or profession. The author is a Firefighter himself but has also been a fire-setter on several occasions.
Indeed we relate. That's why one must have a "CFFO" title too - "Chief Fire Fighting Officer" - as this situation seems ineviatble.
ReplyDeleteAnd such profiles should only be paid on a "performance basis" i.e, the quantum of fire(s) that they extinguish (irrespective of who created it).
Cheers,
Vinu