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.
