I know, we are supposed to be working, not watching TV. But, come on, we have to relax with the family sometime. And Burn Notice is a nice, action packed, thrill filled, family friendly show.
In it, Michael Weston is a spy. Or, he used to be a spy, for the CIA. One of their best field agents. But he started asking too many questions. "Why?", it seems, is not well tolerated in the spy world. (We see this in current events, even.) When his pursuit of answers got to be too bothersome for those calling the shots (literally telling Michael who to take out next), Michael got "burned".
A Burn Notice is one of two ways the spooks have to fire you. If you are the spy being fired, you probably would prefer this over the other "extreme prejudice" method. It's a little less permanent. And not so terminal as the alternative method. Still, It is only a little less extreme. He's dumped, let's say, unceremoniously, is a town of random choice (Miami, could be worse I guess) with no ID, no money, no phone, no contacts, in short, not much of anything except his wits.
Now, I am sure Michael Weston doesn't see himself as a project manager, and certainly not a hero. Many project managers don't, they just do their financial analyst job, or their construction superintendent job, or their IT systems analyst job, or even their spy job and never give much thought to the fact that much of what they are doing in managing projects.
But, they are very often managing projects, have no doubt about that!
Michael is is prime example. On each episode, and also in various running themes,
he deals with problems and challenges by calling his team (trigger-happy girlfriend Fi (now ex, but really?), Sam (the ex-FBI informant who spent his days helping to chase Michael down), Jessie (another ex-spy who got burned), his mother (sweet Madeleine, but don't ruffle her feathers!) and others together to devise a plan for solving the problem. Michael is often the chief planner, but, have no doubt, like any good project manager, he listens to his team when they have suggestions.
Their plans are often intricate, but also at a high enough level to allow for changes. In this, his plans seem to fit well in the Agile framework of project management, with the fore-knowledge that things will happen, plans will change. Michael, as well as his entire team, is an expert at the work-around. When your plan calls for breaching a building with a strong contingent of armed guards, a pervasive surveillance system and no knowledge of what awaits inside, you can bet there will be work-arounds galore. Even work-arounds for compromised work-arounds.
Michael earns the respect and loyalty of his team. There is no possibly dangerous situation in which he asks any of them to do something that he would not do himself. As a matter of fact, his team often spends considerable effort convincing him that one of them is better suited for the task. And he shows them how much he appreciates what they have done. There is never any doubt that he values their contribution.
Michael's team is required to continuously monitor the risks involved in each operation and to evaluate the possible return that will be realized. Often, the probable cost of the risk is very high, but the cost of not taking the risk at all is even higher. Making sure to mitigate, transfer to an appropriate contractor or simply accept (as unavoidable given the circumstances) the risks is a big part of the team's management of each project.
Communications plays a huge role. Not only must the team always be aware of how to keep in contact, they must also be keenly aware of what not to communicate. That hostile sponsor may use something you say to hold it over your head for further commitments you would rather not make. Also, finding unusual and unexpected ways to communicate plays a big role. This may not be something that most of us project managers often are called upon to do, but if we can find a unexpected or unusual method of communicating, it might help us make a point that we would have trouble making otherwise.
Then, there's Lesson Learned. It may look like just a well earned round of drinks at a comfortable outside patio bar, but you can bet that they will be recounting what worked and what didn't. These lessons are the life blood of staying ahead of the bad guys. And staying alive.
Burn Notice along with Michael Weston and his team are wrapping up the series this year with their seventh and final season. it has been a fun, thrilling, exciting, sad, poignant, colorful and even educational run. I will sincerely miss the show.
But, if you have not followed the show and want to check it out to see what I have been writing about, it lives on in reruns and on demand from several sources. For a quick review of what is in store for you, check out the show's Facebook Page. It will be worth the time!
Good bye Michael, Fi, Sam, Jessie and Madeleine. I hope you all find the peace you have worked so desperately hard to find.
But, they are very often managing projects, have no doubt about that!
Michael is is prime example. On each episode, and also in various running themes,
he deals with problems and challenges by calling his team (trigger-happy girlfriend Fi (now ex, but really?), Sam (the ex-FBI informant who spent his days helping to chase Michael down), Jessie (another ex-spy who got burned), his mother (sweet Madeleine, but don't ruffle her feathers!) and others together to devise a plan for solving the problem. Michael is often the chief planner, but, have no doubt, like any good project manager, he listens to his team when they have suggestions.Their plans are often intricate, but also at a high enough level to allow for changes. In this, his plans seem to fit well in the Agile framework of project management, with the fore-knowledge that things will happen, plans will change. Michael, as well as his entire team, is an expert at the work-around. When your plan calls for breaching a building with a strong contingent of armed guards, a pervasive surveillance system and no knowledge of what awaits inside, you can bet there will be work-arounds galore. Even work-arounds for compromised work-arounds.
Michael earns the respect and loyalty of his team. There is no possibly dangerous situation in which he asks any of them to do something that he would not do himself. As a matter of fact, his team often spends considerable effort convincing him that one of them is better suited for the task. And he shows them how much he appreciates what they have done. There is never any doubt that he values their contribution.
Michael's team is required to continuously monitor the risks involved in each operation and to evaluate the possible return that will be realized. Often, the probable cost of the risk is very high, but the cost of not taking the risk at all is even higher. Making sure to mitigate, transfer to an appropriate contractor or simply accept (as unavoidable given the circumstances) the risks is a big part of the team's management of each project.
Communications plays a huge role. Not only must the team always be aware of how to keep in contact, they must also be keenly aware of what not to communicate. That hostile sponsor may use something you say to hold it over your head for further commitments you would rather not make. Also, finding unusual and unexpected ways to communicate plays a big role. This may not be something that most of us project managers often are called upon to do, but if we can find a unexpected or unusual method of communicating, it might help us make a point that we would have trouble making otherwise.
Then, there's Lesson Learned. It may look like just a well earned round of drinks at a comfortable outside patio bar, but you can bet that they will be recounting what worked and what didn't. These lessons are the life blood of staying ahead of the bad guys. And staying alive.
Burn Notice along with Michael Weston and his team are wrapping up the series this year with their seventh and final season. it has been a fun, thrilling, exciting, sad, poignant, colorful and even educational run. I will sincerely miss the show.But, if you have not followed the show and want to check it out to see what I have been writing about, it lives on in reruns and on demand from several sources. For a quick review of what is in store for you, check out the show's Facebook Page. It will be worth the time!
Good bye Michael, Fi, Sam, Jessie and Madeleine. I hope you all find the peace you have worked so desperately hard to find.
