I am almost sure that I’ve read an article comparing Project Management with Game of Thrones. But, with the coming of the season finale, I cannot avoid thinking on how the project would end if the project manager were one of the Game of Thrones character…
Tyrion Lannister
Using diplomacy skills, he would advise each team member and to negotiate with local partners and seek for the best possible end of the project. He would jump from supporting the partners to attending donor requirements, also searching how the implementing organization could achieve its own needs. Despite of his good will, shifting masters he would like to please would lead to not attending anyone’s expectations. A (continuous) project redesign would probably be the adopted scenario.
Cersei Lannister
She just wants the project expansion… and be replicated (take over) of all communities, not necessarily in a good way. She doesn’t care about the unique context and characteristics of each community – the goal is to replicate, replicate, replicate. The identification and design of new expansions (replications) are top-down. And… she is convinced that all expansions will succeed, as long as she manages all projects and has all the power – shame!
Jon Snow
Jon has been fired (he died) and hired again (didn’t really die). He knows nothing (that is happening in the project). With very good soft skills, he might be able to raise the necessary resources for transferring the project to the community properly. But many of his team members conspire against him – because they think he lost his title as project manager (he’s not really a Stark) and should be just a team member as anyone else.
Sansa Stark
Sansa’s expectation to the end of the project is simply unknown. She suffered and struggled through the entire project: exploited by two former project managers (Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton). Now that she has the power, we cannot predict how she will treat other stakeholders and leaders, as she made one of the former project managers be destroyed (eaten) by his own resources (Ramsay Bolton).
Arya Stark
Arya could lead to a good project termination, with proper transfer to the community, but she has two faces… many faces. “The girl has no name”- the project manager takes no responsibility. Nobody trusts her anymore (or even know who she is). She keeps firing (killing) everyone in her list and she will end up not having enough human resources to the administrative, financial, or contract closure.
Daenerys Targaryen
She’s a natural leader. All local partners, team members, and even donors will follow her, whatever her decision is for the end of the project. That’s just because she controls two large funds (two dragons) for a project expansion or redesign. She uses to control three funds (dragons), but one of them was frozen because another implementing organization (white walkers) demonstrated better results and efficiency.
Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish
He’s a snake. He creates stories and seeds distrust among all partners, community members, and staff, jeopardizing the end of the project. Fraud and corrupted data would definitely be found in the project final evaluation… but, he just did not expect that one of the evaluation consultants was disguised (Arya) and found about his plots, firing (killing) him.
Bran Stark
Bran is an absent project manager. He disappeared in the beginning of the project and remained wandering through forests and villages, talking to beneficiaries and partners. He learned a lot, acquired many skills and really understands the community needs. He would lead a good project transition, but some people say he’s on drugs – because he sees things and raves constantly.
The Night King
The project transition will last long (eternal winter) and become sustainable (no one needs to eat as everybody is dead). That’s an example of charisma and cold blood: a perfect project manager. Patient, meticulous, great leadership skills (anyone he touches becomes his follower), unstoppable… he was able to shift one of the main funding streams (one dragon) to his project and overcome the most difficult project obstacle (the Great Wall). He is the one! He’s the project manager who knows how to expand (his followers), redesign (freeze everything), extend (eternally) and terminate (everybody)!
