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1

B

rad pours himself a cup of coffee as he surveys the break

room. He’s looking for someone he can brag to about the

great job he and his team have done putting together a solid

project plan. He spots Ted, a veteran project manager, and sits

down across the table from him. After a few minutes of discus-

sion about the weather, Ted provides the opening that Brad is

looking for.

“So, Brad,” says Ted, “How’s it going on Project Apex?

That’s a pretty hot project. I hope you’ve got everything under

control.”

“You bet,” says Brad as he grins from ear to ear. “The plan-

ning took a little longer that I expected, but we’ve definitelygot

everything under control.”

Brad continues by describing some of the details of Project

Apex. Ted listens intently as Brad weaves a tale of an intricately

crafted schedule, the key project players he’s been able to

recruit, the “hard bargains” he drove with suppliers, and the

well-timed arrangement he worked out with the client for shut-

Dealing with Risk

and Uncertainty

8

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