Return of the Project Poltergeist

You might be wondering what Halloween has to do with project management. You would be surprised to learn there are amusing parallels between failing IT projects and Halloween. Like Halloween, Project Managers (PMs) also encounter ghosts/skeletons/mummies from their past projects like ghosts of old code that has unresolved bugs. The fear of failure of the same mistakes is a monster that destroys a project’s progress because they did not learn from their mistakes or lessons learned if taken.

PMs should look for red flags or zombies when managing your risks and be careful about the factors that can lead your project towards failure. Without effective risk management, it is impossible to complete your project

on schedule. Another lesson that PMs can learn from Halloween is to aim high by having ambitious goals (e.g., improving productivity or sticking to deadlines). Set clear objectives so that all your team members can contribute to success.

In every horror movie, just when the hero believes they have successfully eliminated the monster, it finds a way to come back to life. The first Halloween movie (1978) had one of the most unexpected comeback scenes. In this movie Michael Myers (also known as the Boogeyman) appeared to be a run-of-the-mill psychopathic human being. It was only at the very end of the film after Dr. Loomis shot Michael a few times at direct range and he’s fallen from the second story of a house and managed to get away, so you finally realize he’s going to come back in the next dozen films with last one being Halloween Ends (2022).

While it can be satisfying to resolve a tricky project issue, we need to remain vigilant to the possibility that it could happen again. Recurring issues in projects are so commonly related to one simple mistake – not looking back at the history of the project. Project learning is so invaluable, yet businesses often gloss over the details and miss important insights. Also, if an issue had been previously identified as a risk, we now have further quantitative data regarding its impact which we could use to be better prepared in the future.

The Phantom of the Project Plan

Halloweenwas very confusing for me when I was growing up because my parents often said, “Never take candy from strangers.” And then they dressed me (e.g., Spider-Man) up and said, “Go beg for it.” But everyone knows that the candy companies invented Halloween. It’s a conspiracy! During Halloween, people wear masks and costumes to conceal their true identities. In an IT project, underlying problems might be masked by temporary fixes or workarounds, only to resurface later. Temporary fixes are like duct tape on a tombstone – looks fine until the skeletons start dancing. Regardless, project management isn’t for the faint of heart or being very afraid. Remember that even the best PMs have witnessed some scary circumstances. Learning from others is a way to ensure your projects aren’t cursed.

On Halloween nights, the eerie silence can be unsettling like a Boogeyman is. In an IT project, a sudden lack of communication or progress updates can be equally unnerving and might indicate deeper issues. Remember silence isn’t golden – it’s ghostly!

The Curse of the Expanding Project

You wake up in a cold sweat as you realize your project’s budget has been drained faster than a vampire’s victim. Unforeseen costs, budget overruns and financial chaos can be a PMs worst nightmare. Also, be aware of costumed KPIs – metrics dressed up to look successful, but underneath… they’re just vanity numbers in disguise.

It started as a simple app. Now it’s sprawling monster with 47 features, 3 integrations, and a budget that vanished faster than your Halloween candy.

Imagine the project starts small and manageable but as time goes on stakeholders start adding requirements. Suddenly. Your project takes on a monstrous shape, growing far beyond what was originally planned. Managing a creepy scope is like trying to control a zombie horde and if left unchecked, it can lead to project failure.

When it comes to project features, sometimes it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet – all the eyes are bigger than the stomach. As soon as you add that shiny new feature, someone else suggests another, and another, until your project resembles a software version of Frankenstein’s monster or the Grim Reaper.

Ghosted by Your Team

In the middle of your project your key team members mysteriously disappear (e.g., ghosts) into another department’s dungeon. This can lead to delays, reduced productivity, and the feeling that you’re trapped in a ghost town with no one to help you.

Trick-or-Tech

In the darkest corners of your project your technology fails you. System crashes, data loss and technical gremlins can make your project feel like a haunted castle with unpredictable foundations.

Halloween can be unpredictable. The weather might change your plans, costumes might not fit right, and unexpected surprises like seeing werewolves around every corner can happen. Likewise, projects can take unexpected turns. Being flexible and ready to pivot when necessary is a valuable lesson from Halloween.

While many of the above comparisons are lighthearted, a failing project is no joke and requires thorough analysis and corrective actions to get back on track. So, sharpen your stakeholder stakes, light your jack-o’-lantern dashboards, dust off the cobwebs from your risk register and may your KPIs be less terrifying than your inbox.

Finally, have a fang-tastic Halloween! Ghouls just want to have fun. It’s the season to trick-or-treat yourself or if you want to put yourself into a spooky mood, see a Halloween movie like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Witching you and your ghoul friends a creepy Halloween and don’t goblin up all the candy.

Have you had any spooky experiences in your IT projects? If so, feel free to trick-or-treat them in the comments!