Speak to an Advisor
AU
EU
IE
UAE
UK
USA
SA
SG
In Quantum Project Management1 I continued a journey which has spanned several decades as I first studied the unacceptably high “failure” rates of large complex projects, identified some root causes and suggested various focus areas2 to address the observed deficiencies. Along that journey, I observed that classical project management theory failed us at scale and complexity, constrained by its founding and grounded on straightforward, decomposable projects that were well-bounded. At various points along that journey, I compared what needed to happen as being analogous to the break in thought and theory that occurred as both quantum theory and relativistic theory emerged in the physics domain. I suggested that a new theory of project management3 needed to emerge and suggested some of the analogies which linked the required elements of this new theory even more closely to the transformations that quantum and relativistic theories brought to classical physics.
While this journey began with a focus on scale, today, it is focused on complexity and scale. Along the way, the importance of system thinking became even more apparent, as did the open systems nature of large complex projects. Stakeholders and their stakeholders were ever more important elements in the open systems context, which is the nature of all quantum systems and, in effect, were a large part of the spacetime4 in which a project is set. This spacetime, or surrounding ecosystem if you will, is highly determinative of ultimate project success or failure, and as such, the behaviours and futures of the project and ecosystem are intimately entangled.
This entanglement is something witnessed in quantum systems and, importantly, is the value-adding property in quantum computing5. In larger systems, systems at scale, there had been an open question as to whether the effects of entanglement would be measurable and observable. This open question has now been addressed in observations related to the chaotic orbit of Hyperion, one of the moons of Saturn, where its chaotic orbit can be described as resulting from the combined consideration of that moon, the dust and photons striking it.
In quantum mechanics, we describe quantum properties in the form of a wave function represented by Ψ. This can be thought of as the probability distribution associated with a particular behaviour or property, such as spin. In large systems, it had been assumed that the combined individual randomness would average out over time and be described as more classical. This, however, is not necessarily the case, as was observed when studying the chaotic orbit of Hyperion. This chaotic orbit is better understood by considering the behaviour of the larger system of which Hyperion is part, including that moon itself together with the dust and photons striking it.
This can be described such that:
ΨObserved = ΨMoon + ΨDust + ΨPhotons
The interaction of dust and photons with the moon causes their wave functions to become entangled, and it is this entanglement that results in the complex and chaotic orbit we observe. This particular type of entanglement is called Chaos Entanglement and systematically generates chaotic dynamics by entangling multiple stable linear systems such as the moon, dust and photons.
The entanglement functions create artificial chaotic behaviour in each subsystem (moon, dust, photon), resulting in a chaotic overall system. In other instances, chaos entanglement opens possibilities for engineering applications, such as chaos-based secure communication. In the world of large complex projects, chaos is not welcomed, and we often fail to estimate the effects of entanglement.
Projects can be theoretically described by a wave function. In a bounded environment (such as what Gantt posited), one isolated from any external influences, the project behaves classically, and the wave function collapses to what conventional project management theory describes.
Entanglement: Entanglement is a phenomenon where the properties of two or more objects become correlated in such a way that the state of one object cannot be described independently of the state of the other(s). Changes to one entangled object will instantaneously affect the others, regardless of the distance between them. We witness this correlation at scale in LCP and often observe, in hindsight, the deleterious effects of second and third-order coupling.
The whole of the LCP can no longer be described just by the sum of its parts. Importantly, the LCP must be looked at in a broader system of systems context, where the effects of entanglement become even more significant. System of Systems (SOS) problem sets have no singular deterministic solution.
This entanglement can extend beyond the proper boundaries of the LCP itself, encompassing elements of the surrounding ecosystem.
But projects, especially large complex projects (LCP), are not isolated from external influences but rather entangled, and as a result, the correct wave function includes both the classical description of the project as well as the wave functions associated with each of the external influences, show below as stakeholders but can include broader external factors.
We can write this as:
ΨLCP Actual = ΨLCP Classical/Bounded + ΨStakeholder 1 + ΨStakeholder 2 + ΨStakeholder 3 …. ΨStakeholder n
This combined wave function for this open system does not collapse to its classical outcome but rather to something else. If the external influences are persistent, significant chaos is possible, as we saw with Hyperion.
Interdependencies, interactions, and complexities arise when managing large complex projects. These projects involve multiple stakeholders, intricate processes, and various subsystems. As a result, they become entangled due to dependencies, uncertainties, and dynamic interactions.
Traditional sources of entanglement include:
In Hyperion, we see chaotic behaviour that results from persistent interaction with a large number of small entanglements. Collectively, they are small but impactful, although they are just a fraction of Hyperion itself. In large complex projects, the cumulative impact of all stakeholders, all externally derived entanglements, can be even more significant.
Quantum Project Management provides a robust framework for understanding and gaining new insights and management strategies for large, complex projects.
References:
Explore our Courses
Upcoming Course Dates
Corporate Training
Partnership
Certification Overview
IPM Certification
IPMA Certification
PMI Certification
PRINCE2® Certification
IPM Membership
Events
Mentorship
Articles
Expert Insights
Ebooks & Toolkits
Publish Your Writing
The Institute
Faculty
Global Advisory Board
Apply to Lecture or Volunteer
Apply to Intern or Campus Ambassador
