Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Prison Break: A Lesson in Project Management


I just finished watching Season 1 of Prison Break and boy---was it a classic example of what Project Management is all about!
Project Management is planning, planning, planning and more planning. It's thinking about all the "what ifs" that could break your project and making sure contingencies are in place for such an occasion. Michael Scofield devised a plan to rescue his brother from prison and a date with the electric chair. He had a plan so meticulously laid he knew what things he needed, where he needed to go and who he needed to cohort with to make it happen. He was so intensely keen on every detail of the prison. Now, in order to make sure that error is put to a minimum in terms of how they're going to escape, he went to the extreme of tatooing the prison layout in his body--camouflaged as ordinary tatoo art. Michael then had himself put into prison by committing a crime he knew would land him in the very prison his brother is awaiting execution---Fox River Correctional Facility.
Once inside, he immediately set his plan in motion. But as Murphy's Law states, "if anything can happen---it will in the worst possible way." Michael was confident that his plan was fool proof but as major blunders came his way we see what the character a true project manager should possess: patience and the ability to adapt to change! With each set back he was able to re-group and and make changes to the original plan until finally they were able to accomplish the planned escape!
It was real treat to watch I tell you! When I was first told about this series I was not at all interested. But as I watched a couple of episodes---I was hooked! Every time an episode ends it's "bitin" and it becomes an itch to watch the next! All 24 episodes are guaranteed to keep you at the end of your couch. Unfortunately, I did not find the escape scene particularly realistic where they had to unhinge the window bars by tying it to a descending elevator without alerting any guards! Still, it's worth all the watch hours! Check it out!