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Jump In

by Fernando Zandona

March 12, 2001


Every project manager should try skydiving at least once. It has several characteristics similar to project management and can help you evaluate your projects!    

In February, I decided to jump out of an airplane.  It wasn't about to crash, it was a perfectly good aircraft, flying at an altitude of 13,000 ft.and I wanted to jump out of it--for thrills. I did what is called a tandem jump, where you are attached to a professional skydiver. Such altitude allows you to free fall for approximately one minute before pulling out the parachute. You then float to the ground for about another seven or eight minutes, until you land. It was an incredible experience, one which I will never forget.

Believe it or not, skydiving is very similar to project management. You have the risks, the emotion, the problems and workarounds (if your main parachute fails, you deploy the reserve one, but don’t ask me what happens if the reserve fails!), the feeling of relief when everything ends and the great feeling of accomplishment when everything ends very well.

As in skydiving, there are several factors that contribute to the success of a project.



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