What if project management had its own romantic comedy?

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air and Cupid’s bow is busy working its magic – Harry meets Sally, Julia Roberts takes a stroll through Notting Hill, Kate Hudson has 10 days to lose a guy who’s actually (shock, horror) the love of her life, and no one’s getting any sleep in Seattle…

But what on earth does all this nonsense about love have to do with project management training, we hear you ask? Well, Valentine’s Day has got us thinking about how a project management romantic comedy would play out – who would play who in the stereotypical line-up of romantic suitors that we so often see on the big screen? Let’s find out shall we…?

Introducing…

PRINCE2®: the best friend

In every romantic comedy, there’s always a best friend who was ‘right in front of me all this time’, and who often turns out to be ‘the one’. Sickening as it may sound, we figure this is where PRINCE2 steps up to the plate. Reliable, flexible to your needs, knows what works in the relationship and what doesn’t, PRINCE2 is the best friend you want and need who, ultimately, could become the love of your life.

Agile: the loveable rogue

Loved by some, hated by others, there’s often a lovebale rogue to be found in many a romantic comedy. Constantly changing, and not always the biggest fan of commitment, agile methodologies are the wild card that you didn’t necessarily expect, but are glad you met. Given a bad name by some due to their slightly unorthodox approach, once you get to know them, you’ll see that they’re actually just misunderstood and really have your best interests at heart.

MSP® and MoP®: the one to take home to your parents

We’ve all seen it before, the one who gets made fun of for being boring – ‘why have you always got to have a plan? Just relax, go with the flow!’. We all know that planning for the future, thinking ahead and having an end goal in mind doesn’t make you boring or any less fun, it just shows a greater understanding of the wider picture, which is essentially what programme and portfolio management entails. At first glance, they may not be the stereotypically ‘exciting’ options, but MSP and MoP are the ones you eventually want to take home to meet your parents… and then start a family with a cute two-bed cottage in rural Surrey.

Change Management™: the one that makes you a better person

The heroes and heroines of the story aren’t always so perfect, there’s often a flaw that presents itself along the way – an inability to let go of the past, scars from a love once lost, a total reluctance to accept change, the list goes on. So, in comes the one that changes you; the one that breaks the trend, that makes you a better person. Helping people to accept, understand and negotiate changes in their organisation is what Change Management does best. However irritating and irksome this character may seem at times, they’re usually the one that ends up as part of the ‘happily ever after’.

PMP®: the more experienced one

Slightly more far-fetched, but sometimes the love of your life doesn’t necessarily fall in your usual pool of options; sometimes, the love of your life is older and more experienced. Enter PMP: the man or woman of your dreams who’s already got a few years of experience under their belt from previous jobs/commitments. Requiring a bit more serious thought than a casual date with Sam from down the pub, perhaps, but characters like this one are always worth the wait.

And there it is, our project management line-up that we defy anyone not to be tempted by! It may sound wild, but we reckon we’re onto a few blockbuster hits here…

If any of these courses float your boat, wet your whistle or tickle your fancy, how about biting the bullet and purchasing a course? After all, the project management love of your life could be just around the corner… or right in front of you, depending on your rom-com preferences…