“Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot.”
Ahhh … in the UK, as I write, it’s nearly Bonfire Night!
It’s ironic that few people ‘remember, remember’ the second line of this English folk verse about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 … a reminder …
“Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot.
Would Guy Fawkes et al have made good project managers? The answer is certainly NOT.”
For fun, in this blog let’s “post-mortem” the Gunpowder plot, as we might a failed IT Project, who knows there might be some actual lessons that we can learn. (SPOILER: THERE WILL BE!).
QUICK REFRESHER
In case you don’t know, or have forgotten, The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was a failed attempt by Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and a band of conspirators to blow up the English parliament.
Its failure was declared a day of public thanksgiving and November 5th became known as Guy Fawkes Day, and it is celebrated to this day with bonfires, fireworks, and the carrying of “guys” through the streets to be burned.
8 Reasons Why the Gunpowder Plot “Project” Failed – A Post-Mortem
1 – Poor Project Planning and Unclear Objectives
The project lacked a clear and structured plan. They didn’t anticipate potential risks or setbacks and failed to outline a proper timeline. For instance, what would happen after November 5th? The conspirators imagined that a terrorised, confused and helpless government would readily agree to all their demands but there was no actual plan to achieve this – just an assumption!
As in IT projects, where failure to define scope, timeline, and responsibilities often leads to utter chaos, the Gunpowder Plot was doomed to fail.
2 – Team Members Not 100% Aligned to The Mission
Up to a point, the secret had been well kept, preparations had been completed mostly successfully, certainly without any significant setbacks. As time grew closer to the event some conspirators expressed human concerns about friends and relations who would be caught in the explosion.
One, Francis Tresham tried to warn his brother-in-law Lord Monteagle to stay away in an anonymous letter. Monteagle shared the letter with Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, and it was decided to search the cellar under the House of Lords before the meeting of Parliament (but not too soon – allowing the plot to develop to catch the conspirators red handed). The rest, as they say, is history! Literally!
Your IT Project is only as strong as its weakest link, your whole team needs to be facing in the same direction.
3 – Poor Communication
The warning letter to Lord Monteagle was a sign of communication breakdown within the group. The plot required careful timing, as different aspects (including Catesby’s plans to incite a rebellion elsewhere in England after the explosion) needed to align perfectly. The conspirators did not communicate effectively with the community nor, as mentioned earlier, did they have a clear plan for what would happen after the explosion. They hoped to spark an uprising but failed to rally significant numbers to their cause ahead of time due to poor communication and unclear messaging, meaning that even if the explosion had succeeded, the chances of a large-scale rebellion were slim. Had the conspirators worked more effectively to coordinate with potential sympathisers and communicate their goals, they might have been better positioned for success after the initial strike.
Miscommunication or lack of communication between team members is a major cause of IT project failure too. Clear, open channels are crucial to success! From your Gantt charts to Teams, be sure to fully utilise your ‘comms’!
4 – Too Many Stakeholders
The Gunpowder Plot involved thirteen core conspirators (for a start that’s an unlucky number!!). The more people involved, the more likely it was that someone would let something slip, which is exactly what happened when Tresham sent that warning letter to Lord Monteagle. Others, outside the core, were cognizant of the plot, and large numbers of the gentry who, it was planned would join the plot after a successful explosion of November 5th, were invited to a great hunting match in Warwickshire by Digby!
Too many people involved in the decision-making process of your IT Project, without very clear leadership, can lead to conflicting goals and information leaks. In IT projects, this often results in scope creep and miscommunication.
5 – Ineffective Resource Allocation
Guy Fawkes was the only one left to guard the barrels of gunpowder. Trusting one person with such a key element of the entire operation is a clear example of poor resource allocation and risky if it’s the wrong person in that role.
When he was discovered, for instance, Fawkes was asked his name … to which he came up with the imaginative “John … John Johnson”. You want someone in that role who’ll come up with a more convincing alias! (Could have been worse – these days it would probably have been Fawkesy McFawkes Face!)
In IT project terms, mismanagement of resources, whether it’s time, money, or talent can lead to a project’s downfall. If team members are not clear on their roles, or they’re beyond their experience or capability level, or if methodology and process are not followed, or critical tools are not used properly, the project is doomed. Thankfully, your projects can benefit from Project Management as a Service (tailored resources and talent on demand).
6 – Scope Creep
What started as a one-man band, the Gunpowder plot grew into a small conspiracy, then expanded to include more people. The objective became more ambitious too, they weren’t just planning an assassination of the king but to overthrow the entire government and then, immediately after the explosion, the plotters were to take the princess Elizabeth hostage, Percy was to seize the infant prince Charles and bring him on horseback to their meeting place. Messy!!! This made the plot harder to control and more likely to fail.
IT Projects often fail when their scope grows beyond the original vision. New features, goals, or stakeholders cause delays, confusion and budget overruns.
Business Analysts and a robust Project Management Office can prevent this (and is all available via Stoneseed’s Project Management as a Service!)
7 – Lack of Risk Management and Contingency Planning
The conspirators underestimated the possibility of being discovered or betrayed, and they had no backup plan. Guy Fawkes’ arrest while guarding the gunpowder was a direct result of this failure in Contingency Planning – I mean John Johnson!?!?!?!. Who is even called John Johnson?! Who did he think he was?
In IT Project Management, a lack of risk assessment or contingency planning leaves projects vulnerable. IT projects often fail when teams don’t prepare for unforeseen risks and circumstances. Having Stoneseed on speed dial to provide Project Management as a Service talent can help ensure that the risk of resourcing gaps is covered.
8 – Poor Project Data Analysis
On October 27, Lord Monteagle’s servant Thomas Ward, a friend of conspirator Thomas Winter, informed Winter that the plot was known. The following day Winter informed Catesby and begged him to give up the whole project.
Catesby checked in with Fawkes who confirmed that nothing had been touched in the cellar. Catesby hoped that the government had dismissed the credibility of Monteagle’s letter and decided to press ahead with parliamentary business. Fawkes returned to the cellar to keep guard as planned.
Like the servant Ward, your project is sharing insight all the time. Learning to listen to what your project is saying and having platforms in place to help interpret the increasing amounts of data is vital.
CONCLUSION
In short, the Gunpowder Plot failed in many ways that mirror modern IT project failures: lack of planning; poor security; bad communication; and an inability to manage risks.
It’s almost reassuring just how timeless these challenges really are for projects – of all types!
And ultimately, in the end, it’s all about the execution.
As it was for Guy Fawkes, ironically.
What? Too soon?
Happy 5th November!
More about Project Management as a Service from Stoneseed
SOURCES
https://www.britannica.com/event/Gunpowder-Plot/Gunpowder-treason-and-plot
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/gunpowder-plot-what-history-behind-bonfire-night
