Every project has its own pulse and tempo. Project lifecycles are not just methodologies, but distinctive rhythms that can either amplify or undermine your team's natural flow.
Projects unfold through five fundamental phases according to PMBOK: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Control, and Closing. But how these phases interact creates entirely different symphonies—some structured and precise, others fluid and improvisational.
1. Traditional/Waterfall Approach: The Symphony Performance
My marketing campaigns typically follow this classical approach. Like a symphony orchestra performing a carefully composed piece, each section must play its part in precise sequence.
A marketing campaign requires meticulous planning before execution—the creative concepts must be approved before production begins, production must be completed before media placement, and so on. Each phase builds directly on what came before it.
This approach is like planning an elaborate dinner party where the appetizers must be served before the main course, which must precede dessert. You can't suddenly decide to serve cake first once the seafood appetizers are already plated. Similarly, once we've committed to a marketing concept and produced the assets, pivoting to an entirely different approach would mean starting from scratch.
The waterfall method gives campaigns a cohesive, polished feel because each element has been thoughtfully completed before moving forward. However, when market conditions change unexpectedly, this approach can leave you serving hot soup on a surprise summer day.
2. Iterative Approach: The Jazz Improvisation
My ERP implementation was pure jazz—a structure exists, but improvement comes through repeated improvisation and refinement.
Implementing an ERP system is like learning to play jazz. You start with a basic melody (the core system), then enhance it through repeated sessions, each time adding more sophistication and nuance. We deployed the basic financial module first, used it awhile, then refined it based on user feedback before adding inventory management features.
Each iteration produced a working system that users could immediately employ, though not with all the eventual features. Like a jazz standard that becomes richer with each performance, our ERP system evolved through multiple iterations, incorporating lessons from actual usage rather than trying to perfect everything in isolation.
The beauty of this approach was watching the system grow more attuned to our actual needs with each cycle—like a musician who gets better with each jam session.
3. Incremental Approach: Building a Lego Masterpiece
When migrating our power automate approval flows, I used an incremental approach that felt remarkably like building with Lego bricks.
Each approval workflow represented a completely finished Lego section—fully functional and production-ready on its own. We migrated the expense approval flow first and ensured it worked flawlessly before touching the purchase order flow, which in turn was completed before we approached the time-off request flow.
Unlike the iterative approach, where the whole system existed in progressively refined versions, here each component was built to its final state before adding another. It's the difference between improving an entire sketch versus completing one perfect room in a house before moving to the next.
This approach allowed us to deliver immediate value with each increment. However, when we discovered that some flows needed to interact differently than initially planned, we faced the challenge of rebuilding completed sections—like discovering your meticulously constructed Lego castle won't fit through the doorway.
4. Agile/Change-driven/Adaptive Approach: The Street Food Festival
Developing our AI WhatsApp chatbot using Agile was like running a street food festival where chefs create dishes based on immediate customer feedback.
Working in quick sprints, we combined both iterative improvement and incremental delivery. Our first sprint delivered a chatbot that could answer basic FAQs—nothing fancy, but immediately useful, like a simple street food stall serving one perfect dish. With each subsequent sprint, we added more capabilities (new food stalls) while also improving existing features based on user feedback (refining recipes).
This approach let us pivot quickly when we discovered unexpected user needs. When users wanted the chatbot to handle appointment scheduling—something not in our original plan—we could add this feature in the next sprint without disrupting our progress.
The agile approach turned our users into collaborators rather than just customers. Like food festival attendees who directly tell the chef what they enjoy, our users' immediate feedback shaped a product that truly served their needs, not just what we thought they wanted.
Finding Your Project's Natural Rhythm
The best project approach isn't about rigid adherence to methodology—it's about finding the natural rhythm that suits your project's unique character.
For projects with well-defined requirements and clear sequential dependencies—like marketing campaigns—the waterfall approach provides structure and consistency.
When you can benefit from progressive refinement of a working system—like our ERP implementation—an iterative approach lets you improve through repeated cycles, learning as you go.
Projects with distinct, independently valuable components—like our approval workflows—thrive under an incremental approach, delivering complete pieces that provide immediate value.
And when exploring new territory with uncertain requirements—like an AI chatbot—the adaptive nature of Agile gives you the freedom to respond to discoveries while maintaining forward momentum.
Understanding these different rhythms has transformed how you approach project management. Rather than forcing every project into the same framework, learn to listen for each project's natural beat and select the approach that amplifies rather than fights against it.
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