The Art of Project Management

A short story written by Oma Falk

An old lady with a worn coat was standing in the supermarket
in front of the shelf with champagne bottles.
A man approached her and there was no doubt that it was a successful manager.
The lady asked him which sparkling wine was best for a big birthday.
The manager enthusiastically replied that such an opportunity should only be celebrated with the best champagne and handed her an expensive bottle.
The lady took the champagne and sadly put it back on the shelf.
The manager immediately grasped the situation: He knew the problem because he regularly exceeded his budget in his projects.
His boss was always very accommodating and so the manager decided to make the lady happy.
He went through the supermarket with her and with all his experience and profession he organized the "Round Birthday for an Old Lady" project.
He thought of everything: caviar, baguette, antipasti - he knew what tasted good from his business lunches.
The old lady crept after him with an uncertain gait but her eyes started to shine.
Without hesitation, the man paid the bill at the till, wished the old lady a nice day, and drove away in his luxury limousine. The successful project filled him with joy.
But what happened next is unbelievable:
The old lady packed up her shopping and took a springy step to a car.
Her husband was waiting for her in this car.
He opened the door and asked her the same question as every month:
"Project "caviar" successful?"
The old lady smiled happily and answered as every month: "Yes dear - it worked as designed".