Computer says no – What Little Britain teaches us about agile project management

By November 6, 2012blog

When people ask me what agile project management is, I often use Carol Beer as the example of a non-agile project manager.

Carol is an extremely unhelpful character in Little Britain. If you don’t know her, check out this video:

Why is Carol Beer a non-agile project manager? Let’s use the agile manifesto.

  • Instead of communicating, she always refers to her system saying “no”. She clearly values processes and tools over individuals and interactions.
  • She focuses on filling in all the necessary forms, instead of providing a solution. She values documentation over something that works for the customer.
  • Carol does not negotiate, and certainly is not collaborating with her customer.
  • She focuses on the plan, and hates everything that implies some form of change.

This may sound silly, but there is a Carol Beer in every project manager.

Be aware of that, and focus on the left side of the agile manifesto.