An epic is retold. The actors are familiar but the roles are different. Arjuna is a Program Manager responsible for delivering a set of projects to enhance the defence of the city of Hastinapura; Krishna his coach and mentor. Arjuna faces the challenges and his self-doubt in the high-stakes game competing with the Kauravas to deliver software products that are effective and of lasting robustness. To achieve that, Arjuna aspires to ensure sustained “health” of his projects as opposed to the Kauravas who are approaching the challenge ready to cut all corners for short-term success.
Arjuna and Krishna with a focus on means and not just the ends, together evolve a project health framework for effective delivery, assurance of outcomes and robust products. This is the story of their fascinating journey of discovery interacting with project teams and stakeholders to develop new perspectives in managing projects. The end result is a comprehensive set of project Vital Signs and their manifestations and a 360-degree assessment approach – a framework for early warning to address the not-uncommon syndrome of projects being “in the pink of health till yesterday but in ICU today”.
Paramu Kurumathur is an avid reader of business and technical books. He has been exposed to various project and program management approaches and different technologies over decades. He has been working in the international software services industry and global IT management since 1980.
He is a keen traveler and has visited and stayed in around 40 countries.
His debut novel, The First Aryan, is in the process of being published by Penguin Random House.
Paramu is an alumnus of IIT, Madras. [B. Tech. (Aero. Engg.); M. Tech. (Comp. Sc.)]
His interests include project and program management, writing business books and novels, writing limericks and promoting humor as a way of life.
