A recent Wall Street Journal article described a photo of a war scene as “grizzly.”  Another article said a politician was “unphased” by protests.

This happens so often there’s a word for it.  “The Cupertino Effect” is over-reliance on spell-checker software that produces mistakes.  In college, the worst outcome is a C+, but the stakes are higher in project management.  I’ve seen the poor techniques created by dependency on project management software:

-insufficient collaboration

-gaps in scheduling

-disengaged staff hiding behind software and email

It lets staff avoid accountability and ownership of their tasks.

PSI insists our clients put everyone in the room for the first planning session, because software doesn’t lead projects, people do.  Despite initial pushback, our clients uniformly say the conversations, commitment and ownership is incomparable.  The Project Success Method^(SM) doesn’t let people hide; it harnesses the power of collaboration.

Once people get out from behind their screens and engage, they develop ownership, accountability, and true teamwork in a process that is collaborative, actionable and that everyone believes in.  Software alone can’t do that; the human element makes the difference.

…Or else you’ll have people scanning a photograph wondering where the bear is.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/clintpadgett
• Twitter: @clintpadgett

Clint Padgett is the president and CEO of PSI. Since joining the firm in 1994, he has provided consulting, training, and account management to clients in a wide range of industries. His project experience covers many traditional and special applications, including: product development, equipment installation/startup, facility construction/moves, marketing, software/hardware system implementation, and international sporting events. He is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is associated with the Project Management Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Product Development & Management Association, among others. Additionally, Clint is a published author and frequently speaks at conferences on the subject of project management, including the Executive Education program in the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is an adjunct professor.