Studying PMBOK® 6: Why Good Is Better Than Best in Project Management

Definition of Good Practice

Best practice generally means “generally accepted as superior to any alternative because it produces results that are superior to those achieved through other means or because it has become the standard way of doing things…”

Best practice infers, “this is the way we do things. If you want results, follow this.”

Good practice, as defined by the sixth edition of the PMBOK® Guide, means “… there is general agreement that the application of the knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to Project Management processes can enhance the chance of success over many projects in delivering the expected business values and results.”

This means that these practices apply to most projects most of the time, and there is a consensus about “… value and usefulness.”  

This means that if required, projects will deviate. We stick to what works, and when necessary, we apply what business requires and prefers. We are given authority where required.

Good practice also infers that we are not done. Others will follow who will do things better. But we know this works today and we will continue until a better solution is provided. We remain steadfast and open-minded.

I could have said that good practice is that way because “it works.” I could say, “your experience is different because you may not have people with 15 or 20 years of experience around you, so you haven’t seen this type of management and leadership in action.” However, the best way to introduce you to the context of the standard is by immersing in the material and working with the tools within scenarios. You must experience something you’ve never experienced before, and that’s tricky. That is why the PMP Certification exam is different from other exams – you step away from your experience of success, and have to trade it for a lot of material that is often confusing.

The PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition Approach to Good Practice

The new edition of the PMBOK® Guide is a transition in the way the good practice is framed. The definition is the same in both editions; however, the sixth edition has restructured the content to represent the actions that represent the intention of good practice. Each knowledge area now includes:

• Key Concepts:
  

  What you need to know first and foremost about this specific skillset.

• Trends and Emerging Practices:

  How the changes in the world around us are impacting this specific skillset. 

• Tailoring Considerations:

  How to modify the characteristics of this skillset if required, or to receive better outcomes due to your project’s uniqueness.

• Consideration for Agile/Adaptive Environments:

  What you need to consider within this skillset when you are embracing great change.

The PMBOK® Guide is not the end story. It is aligned with what we know works well; however, we all are responsible for adapting it to our scenario and extracting success and guiding its development moving forward.

Why This New Edition is Important

The PMP credential represents the Project Management Institute (PMI) standing behind you and publicly stating that you are an expert, and capable of supporting and representing project management. You’re also obligated to grow project management.

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Formal training in project management prepares one for this obligation; it establishes fundamentals, and following the mindset of good practice, sets ground rules and guidelines for modification. Morals and ethics cannot be modified; this drives integrity away and splits our internal voices into arguments. The changes described here are the ones that are required by the business, stakeholders, and the deliverable to meet some objective, without sacrificing values and integrity. This is the job of true leadership – maintain the inner light of integrity, know the good way to do things, and simultaneously understand the demands of the environment and the always-in-the forefront objective – why we are doing this. It’s a tough role, and the people signing up for the exam are to be commended – we’re often thrown into this work untrained, without a lot of wise guidance. 

The PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition was structured to understand and support this struggle. People who authored this edition did the same work you do and came to the same conclusions. There is a good way of doing things, and we can step up and be the leaders to usher the project to success, moving project management forward. 

PMBOK®, PMP®, and PMI® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.