Project Management and Command/Query Separation

Just like we have issues mixing command and query when writing software, we run into similar issues when it comes to project management.

Say you have a project manager that is very technical. You would think that you could do no better. But alas, you will have bottlenecked his potential by requiring him to service the "queries" he has to provide for management (such as status reports, etc).

In the opposite corner, you can have a non-technical PM giving "commands" to the developers without the proper knowledge of the consequences of his actions.

Even in the well balanced scenario, you can overload a PM with a week or more worth of "queries"... or ask for too much direction.

So, can you scale your PM? If the role is clearly defined and we have a separation of command and query, yes you can.

Thoughts?

DSL Books

It seems Oren Eini (Ayende.com) is writing a book at the same time that Martin Fowler is writing a book. It should be nice to read both at once and cross reference. Both guys are getting feedback from the community.

Can't wait!