Put yourself in the role of a project manager collaborating with MTD, an events company.
Considering the difficulties and problems that MTD encounters in their projects, what insights have you gained this week that could offer assistance?
If an iterative approach were employed in organizing an event as a project, what would be the consequences? Similarly, what are the implications of adopting an agile approach? If the company sought your advice, what would you recommend?
Contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion.
An Iterative approach gives a project Management better chances for a stop and check system, a tail for good negotiations and communication to be employed, though it may be time consuming but it’s best to fix an existing problem and better team work relationship. Finally, an iterative approach is a continuous system that won’t stop and can’t stop until it achieves its aim because it’s a repetition of a system.
As an MTD Manager, the adoption of an Agile (Iterative) approach will significantly improved operational efficiency, shifting from command to team support management system.
Work are broken into small cycles challenges are identified early. This reduces the risk of major delays, cost overruns, or safety incidents, as corrective actions are implemented promptly.
Learning from mistakes, this supports continuous improvement in quality, safety compliance, and service delivery.
The Agile / Iterative approach enables proactive management, faster adaptation to change, and sustained operational excellence.
If an iterative approach is applied there’d be both positive and negative consequences
Positive in the sense that there’d be risk reduction ,you can test some part of the event and. Negative in the sense that events are time bound,too many iterations can waste time and once the event starts there’ll be no more room for test running anything
From what I have learned this week,being a project manager doesn’t mean it will be easy
The ability to be flexible is needed.
Using the agile approach,I would advice they be open to different views.
Biweekly meeting cancelled help to get on track and avoid any issues.
If i were to be an MTD project mamager with what i have learn this week. I would begin my project in cognisance of the complexities of the external world. I’d use the VUCA framework as a guide in defining each stage of the project whilst choosing an appropriate lifecycle.
If an iterative approach were to be considered i think there would be consequences. Events work better when the lifecycle is linear involving the stakeholders/sponsors every step of the way, Defining the scope before the work starts also. When an iterative approach is used it can slow down the work considering there is a deadline.
Adopting an agile approach is also optimal for the project considering the react speedily to any volatilities which would be a certainty in any project.
If I’m been asked to recommend, a hybrid lifecycle/system would be a way to go. In MTD, there could be an initially required volume of water but still allowances would be made for any extras, if the project would affect residents in the area, we should be able to manage the problem while still sticking to the project plan. Involving our stakeholders every step of the way
If I were the project manager working with MTD, the first thing I would apply is stronger stakeholder mapping and clearer communication planning.
From what we’ve seen, many of their challenges come from misalignment, last-minute surprises, and unclear expectations.
A proper Power–Interest analysis would help prioritize who needs close management and who simply needs updates.
Taking an iterative approach to event setup would mean planning in phases — testing elements early (like venue layout, supplier coordination, or guest flow) instead of waiting until the final week.
The implication is more flexibility, but it also requires discipline and regular reviews.
An agile approach would increase collaboration and adaptability, especially since events can change quickly due to client requests or external factors.
However, events also have fixed deadlines, so pure agile may not work perfectly.
My advice to MTD would be to adopt a hybrid approach — structured upfront planning with room for iterative reviews and quick adjustments. Events are deadline-driven, so we need control, but we also need flexibility.
That balance is where project success lives.
Using the iterative approach enables one start with an idea or a new vision, allowing them test these ideas and get feedback from the user and the business. This feedback are then used to decide if the project can be carried out or not. This approach also focuses on speed of the delivery of the project. However, I don’t think there are consequences for using iterative approach, it is used when the approach suits the project about to be carried out. It prioritizes flexibility and responsiveness to change in the scope or plans of the project.
As a project manager using iterative method would mean that you start with an idea or hypothesis and test them to get feedbacks from users or stakeholders to decide how the project will go. It is a combination of all tops all at once rather than taking them one at a time
Applying agile approach which emphasis on adaptions and speed helps get the work done faster. Agility also gives quick response to uncertainty through continuous planning.it is the ability to act fast in any challenge.
Assistance can be offered using the VUCA dimension. There are no consequences for using iterative approach for a project. The implications is that ; you don’t have enough information about the project, the project needs to be reviewed from time to time to confirm that the project is still on the right track ( Stakeholders or client review ), and probably the skill needed to carry out the project needs to be worked on.
As a project manager, using an iterative method would mean that planning is no longer a one-time task but an ongoing process. Because new information, risks, and changes are expected to arise throughout the project, plans would need to be reviewed and refined continuously.
That said, applying agile principles to event management presents certain challenges. Agile frameworks emphasize flexibility and rapid adaptation, whereas events usually operate under strict deadlines and tightly linked activities. These fixed schedules and dependencies can limit the level of adaptability that agile approaches typically require.