My European Family Vacation Part III: A Project Manager's Journey with Progressive Elaboration and Rolling Wave Planning
Crystal Richards
Project Management Educational Consultant | PMP Success Strategist | Global Keynote Speaker | Misfit Project Manager | Adjunct Faculty | Principal and Owner at MindsparQ??
As a project manager, I've had my fair share of challenges, and one of the most important skills I've learned is the art of progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning. As a project management / PMP boot camp trainer, I’ve had many students get confused about these two concepts. In this article, I thought I’d have some fun and take you through my journey to explain how these concepts helped me navigate through uncertainty during my family trip.
The Long-Awaited Journey
As you may recall, in 2019 my family and I excitedly planned a dream 2-week European trip for 2020, but fate had different plans. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing us to postpone our adventure. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, we finally embarked on our journey in June 2023, albeit with some trepidation and uncertainty. Little did I know, this trip would serve as a perfect example of how to manage projects in unpredictable situations.
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Understanding Progressive Elaboration
Progressive elaboration is a project management technique that acknowledges that plans will evolve and improve as more information becomes available. It emphasizes that detailed planning is not always possible at the project's outset, especially in complex and uncertain environments. Instead, it advocates for starting with a general plan and adding more details as the project progresses and the team gains a better understanding of the situation. The story of our postponed family trip also mirrors the essence of progressive elaboration. This concept recognizes that at the outset of a project, details may be limited or unclear. However, as the project unfolds, more information becomes available, allowing for a more refined and detailed plan.
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Applying Progressive Elaboration on My Trip
When planning the trip in 2019, we had a high-level itinerary with rough dates and destinations in mind. However, when the pandemic struck, our plans went into limbo. As travel restrictions and safety guidelines constantly changed, we had to adapt. Rather than trying to nail down every aspect of the trip, we embraced the concept of progressive elaboration. We made decisions based on the most current information available, remaining flexible to adjust our plans as necessary.
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Understanding Rolling Wave Planning
Rolling wave planning is a project management technique that involves planning a project in phases or waves, with detailed planning being done for the near-term tasks while leaving the planning for later tasks to a later time. This approach acknowledges that it's difficult to predict all the details and requirements of a project from the beginning, especially for long and complex projects or in situations with high uncertainty. Rolling wave planning allows for flexibility by focusing on planning for the immediate future while keeping a more general view of the project's overall direction.
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Applying Rolling Wave Planning on My Trip
Once we decided on our travel dates in December 2022, we put our incremental plans in motion.?We booked our flights in January 2023.?We knew when we were coming and going but it was still too soon to book hotels—even they needed time to plan their 2023 schedules.?Once March came around, it gave us time to deliberate with the kids as to how long we would stay in each city.?That gave us the information to book the hotel stays.?Good thing we spoke with our “team” as it turned out the majority did not want to spend too much time in a particular city.?Once hotels were set, we could then book our Eurostar train tickets and have our Mission Impossible I train ride adventure (sans the helicopter scene—IYKYK). And then we planned our activities in each city—sort of.?We did intentionally leave the activity parts of our trip more open-ended. As we progressed and gained new experiences, we adjusted our plans for the latter stages of the trip based on what we had learned and our evolving preferences.
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Synergy between Rolling Wave Planning and Progressive Elaboration
In retrospect, the delayed family trip allowed us to enjoy a richer experience in 2023 than we would have in 2020 (for obvious reasons).
In the world of project management, embracing uncertainty is essential, especially in complex and ever-changing environments. Progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning are powerful techniques that allow project managers to navigate through the unpredictable waters of uncertainty. Just as the initial plans for our vacation needed to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, projects too require strategies that accommodate unpredictability and refine the vision as new information emerges.?My family trip, which was years in the making due to unforeseen circumstances, taught me the value of being flexible and adaptive in project planning.
So, the next time you embark on your own projects, whether professional or personal, remember the lessons I learned during my unforgettable journey.
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Happy traveling and happy project managing!