Chapter12.Rhythm

Chapter 12. Rhythm

One of the things that characterize successful projects is that they fall into a rhythm. Actually, several rhythms. There is the overall rhythm as you move from phase to phase in the iterative development process. There is the somewhat shorter rhythm that paces the team iteration to iteration. Finally, there is the build rhythm, the heartbeat of the project that can be as frequent and regular as once a day. All these rhythms are healthy signs that the "project machine" is working. Of course there are setbacks from time to time, but these are unusual when set against the regular progress that the steady rhythms indicate.

In contrast, the less successful projects, to be euphemistic, have a herky-jerky feel about them. Things seem to occur in an ad hoc and irregular way. There seem to be long periods when nothing happens. Then a release occurs, and optimism blooms. Shortly thereafter, lots of problems reveal themselves, and discouragement sets in. Morale is very erratic, following the highly variable results profile of the project and product. As the project slips, people work harder, but things don't improve. Does any of this sound familiar?

I watched these two contrasting scenarios for many years and wondered if there was not some underlying mechanism, at least for the successful projects. I decided that there might be an infinite number of ways for the unsuccessful ones to fail, and hence an infinite number of mechanisms. Perhaps it would be easier to find the one common underlying mechanism for success.