A Fool With A Tool . . .

An observation I've made over the years goes like this:  A fool with a tool is still a fool. 

I'll explain it with an example.  Suppose you interviewed two candidates for a job as a project manager.  The first candidate preferred using a pad of paper and a pencil to manage projects.  He tells you that he's brought in projects on time and within budget for years using this method, and he saw no reason to change.  The second candidate showed you a resume that demonstrated his proficiency with a whole arsenal of project management tools and methodologies.  He could expound at length between the advantages of Agile project management vs. the Waterfall methodology.  His track record, however, was spotty at best, and he couldn't explain exactly why some of his projects were late or exceeded costs.

If you had to choose one, which candidate would you hire?

I found that Project management tools are usually only as good as the person using them, and they are never the solution to anything.  A fool using a great PM tool will always be outperformed by a great Project Manager using a pad of paper and a pencil. 

In other words, a fool with a tool is still a fool.

Comments

[Johanna Rothman]

Amen. When I teach project management in public workshops, the students are always surprised that I don't teach a tool. A tool enhances your abilities as a PM, but does not make you an effective PM.

[Micheal00026]

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