The project that first came to mind for this assignment was fairly small. It refers to the very first time I attempted to bake a pound cake following my mother's (family favorite) recipe. I was hesitant about using it as an example because of its small nature but I think it is a simple example that may work well for this purpose.
The main thing that contributed to the failure of this product was the lack of time that was put into completing some of the processes that were tied to the quality of the wanted finished product: a perfectly baked pound cake. Certain things called for in the recipe, such as having the eggs and butter at room temperature, made a difference in the texture of the cake. Also, the baking temperature and time for the type of cake pan used made a difference as well. If I would have followed the guidelines given instead of melting the butter via the microwave, using cold eggs directly from the fridge, and baking the cake longer then necessary for the type of pan used, I probably would have had a cake of better quality.
For this project, the project manager (PM) was myself - the baker, and the subject matter expert (SME) was my mother. Being that I was acting as both a PM and a supporter of this project, it was I that failed at realizing and enforcing the importance of following the plan designed to complete the project. Corners were cut that still resulted in an editable finished product. However, the product was not nearly as good as it could have been if things were taking more seriously.
A project is defined when the project manager knows the project's needs needs, strategies, objectives, and limitations (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008). Therefore a project is successfully completed when these things are satisfied and properly taken into consideration. With that said, a lesson was definitely learned from this experience: If you want the same finished product, one sure way to get it is the follow the processes exactly as they are given to you.
References
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Who knew the temperature of the eggs would make such a difference? I will have to keep this in mind when I am baking as well. Your experience has proven the importance of following guidelines and directions exactly as they are given to produce an identical product over and over. My imagination leads me to the “I told you so” I know I would encounter from my mom during the same situation.
ReplyDeleteSheree, I really enjoyed your post and the project you decided to share. No matter how small or big a project is in nature, we know that big problems can occur from time to time. I believe that good baker has common traits as a good project manager, and that is possessing patience, stamina, and creativity. They both must have patience in order to follow directions and endure mistakes, have stamina to work through long hours and on lengthy projects, and be creative so that they can think of new ideas for different recipes or projects. I am a box cake maker myself, but I think I will have to bake one of my grandmother’s homemade cakes, just to prove that I can be a good project manger as well.
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