Subordination of the Greater to the Lesser

Welcome to Schedulosophy.

Developing a critical path schedule is an iterative process. One encounters numerous puzzles and inconsistencies while modeling the many elements that contribute to a complex project. This is not done in isolation. Many stakeholders become participants. They often promote their own agendas, sometimes vigorously. The scheduler may be pressured to accommodate the special circumstances of one element of the project at the expense of another, or of the whole. Well developed "soft skills" are needed to reconcile conflicting objectives. One of the most consequential hazards associated with this environment is the accommodation that subordinates the greater purpose of the critical path schedule to some lesser objective.

Subordination of the greater to the lesser can occur in a variety of ways. One team member may not want to provide the level of detail required to properly model hand-offs to another team. Another, seeking to avoid accountability, declares his contribution is level-of-effort because it is not easily measured. A subcontractor wants to provide inputs in a spreadsheet rather than a network schedule. Another insists on using a different calendar than the standard for the project, which would result in multiple Total Float values on the same path in the schedule. A manager wants reports that reflect poor management practices and would consume limited scheduling resources.

Some of the project's most insidious risks have to do with how the schedule is developed, but they will never show up on the project's risk register. The masterful scheduler understands the long term effects of placing lower level needs over those of the project as a whole. The purpose of the critical path schedule is to manage the project, not to manage its parts uniquely. The scheduling skills required far surpass mere competence.

Thank you for visiting Schedulosophy.