Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a globally recognized professional certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It validates a professional’s education and experience in project management. This article aims to compare and contrast the mindsets associated with Traditional Project Management and Agile Project Management that are essential for PMP certification.
Traditional Project Management Mindset
Traditional Project Management (TPM), also known as Waterfall, is a sequential approach where detailed planning at the project’s inception forms the foundation. The mindset revolves around rigid structure and a linear life cycle.
- Detailed Planning: The project’s entire scope, schedule, and cost are determined early in the project lifecycle.
- Predictive Approach: The focus is on planning the future in detail and adhering to the plan.
- Sequential Phases: The project life cycle is linear- from initiation, through planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and finally, closing.
- Change Control: Changes are formally controlled and often discouraged as they disrupt the plans.
- Individual Roles: Team members have specific roles and responsibilities.
Agile Project Management Mindset
Agile Project Management (APM) is an iterative approach to managing projects that focuses on continuous releases and incorporating customer feedback with every iteration.
- Iterative Planning: Agile encourages ‘planning as you go.’ Initial planning is high-level, not detailed.
- Empirical Approach: Agile is more adaptable, emphasizes learning from the past, and making decisions based on what is known.
- Incremental Delivery: Functionality is delivered in small, manageable increments or ‘sprints.’
- Embrace Change: Changes are accepted and encouraged for the betterment of the product.
- Collaborative Roles: The Agile team is self-organizing, cross-functional, and collectively accountable.
Comparing the Mindsets
While the traditional mindset is predictive and believes in controlling the project environment to manage risks, the Agile mindset values adaptivity and believes in managing risks by understanding that change is inevitable.
In TPM, success is measured by the adherence to plan, whereas, in Agile, success is measured by the value delivered to the customer.
The traditional mindset focuses on processes and tools, comprehensive documentation, contract negotiation, and following a plan. Conversely, the Agile mindset values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change.
PMP Certification and Agile
The PMP certification now covers both traditional and Agile project management methodologies. PMI has recognized the need for project managers to be versatile in their approach. Having an understanding of both mindsets prepares a project manager for a wide variety of projects.
To conclude, while the traditional project management mindset and Agile mindset are different, they both have their place in the project management landscape. The key to being a successful project manager lies in understanding these mindsets and knowing when to apply which methodology.
Additional Links
- Comprehensive Guide to PMP Certification Knowledge and Domain Areas
- Essential Formulas for PMP Certification
- Burn Down vs Burn Up Charts: A Comparison
- PMBOK 7
Disclaimer: This article is intended for the purpose of sharing knowledge that I’ve learnt over the years and is not intended to violate copyrights.
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