What project management techniques can we learn from the telegraph? I mean the nineteenth century communications technology, not the British newspaper. In an era before the Project Management Institute, vast telegraph networks were constructed. Over one hundred years ago, there were global networks that delivered messages in a matter of minutes. Let’s explore the obstacles and achievements of telegraphy for inspiration and instruction that we can apply in our projects.
My fascination with telegraphy dates back to 2006. I read Tom Standage’s book, “The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century’s On-Line Pioneers,” and was pulled into the sweeping story. I have long been interested in the history of the 19th century and communications, so this book was a great fit for me.
As a staff writer for the Economist, Standage tells the story well. That book will be my key resource for this article. Standage makes the interesting argument that a Victorian visitor to our time would not be shocked by the Internet. He surmises that Queen Victoria would regard the Internet as little more than a more powerful telegraph. What a humbling observation!
“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”
– Cicero, Roman politician and author
What project management techniques can we learn from the history of the telegraph? There are three lessons for us to consider. The cultural impact of technological change is the first point. How to respond to project management failures is the second insight. Third, the inspiration to search far and wide for ideas during project brainstorming. I’ve learned a great deal about culture and change from the telegraph – let’s get started.
1) Two Sides To Project Management Change: Technology and People
Implementing new technology is an important part of the project management techniques toolbox. Broadly speaking, there are two dimensions to new technology success – technical and cultural. Project success requires integrating both dimensions. Let’s start by looking at the technical aspect of project management change first.