TABLE OF CONTENTS The question arises: What are the characteristics of the prevailing paradigm that make it so difficult to manage and lead projects consistently to a successful conclusion? There are five key characteristics.
A salient characteristic of the prevailing paradigm is the overemphasis on precision before starting a project. In my experience, I have noticed that many project managers spend extensive time with other stakeholders to ensure that everything is "perfect." Not surprisingly, some people become extremely frustrated with the perfectionist approach because from an appearance perspective "nothing is getting done." Some project managers never go beyond the planning stage. They seek correctness in the plan without really knowing the criteria for determining what defines the perfection. Yet they constantly refine the plan, hoping that every detail is covered.
The reality is, of course, that a plan is a snapshot in time. Like all snapshots, it is incomplete. It is only a model and, like all models, only approximates what is or what is to be.
So why is there such a proclivity towards this sense of perfectionism under the prevailing paradigm? I believe it has its roots in early scientific thinking from a couple of centuries ago: The idea that mankind can master domination over the world through increased knowledge and understanding. With more knowledge and understanding will come predictability about the existing world and a subsequent confidence in our ability to predict, even manage, the future. The problem arises that too much...
