Project Management – Arabela Navarro

Gantt Charts Are Not the Enemy of Agile

There’s a quiet assumption in many Agile teams that I’ve always found interesting: Gantt charts are for waterfall. Almost like they belong to a different world—a world we moved on from.

And yet, every time I hear someone say “Gantts are for waterfall”, I can’t help but wonder if we’re not actually avoiding Gantt charts… but avoiding time and visibility.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: Scrum helps us manage work, but it doesn’t always help us understand time. And time matters.

When I look at a backlog, I see priorities. When I look at a sprint board, I see execution. But when I look at a Gantt chart, I see something different. I see consequences. I see what happens if something slips. I see dependencies that weren’t obvious before. I see whether “we’ll probably make it” is actually true… or just optimism.

Some people resist Gantt charts because they associate them with rigidity—fixed timelines, fixed scope, heavy planning. But a Gantt chart is just a visualization. It doesn’t force you into waterfall. It simply answers a question Agile teams sometimes avoid: given what we know today, will we finish on time?

In complex environments, especially when multiple teams and dependencies are involved, that question is not optional. It’s leadership. Because without that visibility, dependencies become surprises, delays become explanations, and deadlines become negotiations.

A Gantt chart doesn’t replace Scrum. It complements it. Scrum operates in the present—what are we doing now? A Gantt chart connects the present to the future—where is this actually going?

And maybe that’s the real shift. Using a Gantt chart is not about controlling the team. It’s about respecting reality.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this through a different lens. When I play chess, sometimes I get so focused on the piece in front of me that I completely miss what’s developing on the other side of the board. And then I lose a piece and think, “how did I not see that?”

Gantt charts feel like stepping back from the board. They don’t tell you what move to make, but they help you see what’s coming.

So no—Gantt charts are not anti-Agile. Used correctly, they are a tool for awareness. And in both chess and delivery, awareness changes everything.

What Chess Taught Me About Blind Spots

There is a moment in chess that feels almost embarrassing.

You’re focused. Deeply focused. You’ve been calculating lines, thinking ahead, maybe even feeling proud of your position… and then it happens.

You lose a piece.

And the thought comes immediately: Nooooo. How did I not see that???

Many times this was not because your opponent made a brilliant move, but because you simply didn’t see it.

I’ve had that moment more times than I’d like to admit. But recently, I realized something: this doesn’t only happen on the chessboard. It happens in life.

When I play chess, my attention tends to narrow. I focus on what I want to do—my strategy, my plan, my next move. But while I’m focused on that, I stop seeing everything else. Other pieces. Other threats. Other possibilities.

And then I get surprised.

Not because the information wasn’t there, but because I didn’t see it.

So I started asking myself a different question: What am I not seeing?

Something interesting began to happen after I started playing chess. That question didn’t stay on the board. It started appearing in my thoughts at random moments during the day—especially when I was making decisions. In conversations, at work, even in small everyday choices, I would suddenly pause and think: What am I not seeing? Almost as if chess had trained a new layer of awareness in my mind.

Life works in a similar way. We move forward with intention. We set goals, we make plans, we act with purpose. And yet, we still miss things. Signals from other people. Risks in our decisions. Opportunities outside our current focus. Patterns we repeat without noticing.

Just like in chess, the issue is not intelligence. It’s awareness.

We don’t see everything. We see what we are looking for.

That realization reminded me of Aristotle, who believed that understanding reality requires looking at it from multiple perspectives. But as humans, we naturally simplify. We narrow our field of vision to what feels most relevant in the moment.

In modern terms, we call this selective attention, tunnel vision or even cognitive bias. But on a more personal level, it simply feels like being certain… and still being wrong.

Chess, in that sense, becomes a practice in humility. It is not only about thinking ahead, but about learning to see the whole board. Stronger players develop a habit of pausing before they move. They ask themselves what changed, what is being threatened, which pieces are now vulnerable.

They train themselves to look beyond their intention.

This idea has started to change the way I make decisions in my own life. Now, when I feel certain, I try to pause. I ask myself what I might be missing, what assumptions I’m making, what could go wrong that I’m ignoring. I try to imagine what an outside perspective would notice that I cannot see from where I stand.

Sometimes, nothing changes. But sometimes, everything does.

It is not about overthinking or doubting every step. It is about expanding awareness, even slightly, to include what is outside of our immediate focus.

Chess humbled me in a way I didn’t expect. It showed me that even when I feel focused, capable, and in control, I can still miss what is right in front of me.

And maybe the goal is not to see everything. That would be impossible.

Maybe the goal is simply to stay curious enough to keep asking:

What am I not seeing?

The 4 Causes of Every Project Problem (What Aristotle Can Teach Modern Leaders)

Recently, I came across a video explaining the philosophy of Aristotle—specifically, his idea of the four causes.

It’s a 2,000-year-old framework meant to explain why things exist the way they do.

My immediate thought was: This applies to Project Management.

Not metaphorically—structurally.

Because one of the most common challenges in delivery is not execution itself, but misdiagnosing the type of problem we’re dealing with.

When something goes wrong in a project, the default response is:

Run a retrospective
Perform a root cause analysis
Use tools like the Five Whys

This approach is useful—but it assumes that every problem has a single causal chain. In practice, that’s rarely the case. They usually have multiple reasons.

Aristotle proposed that to truly understand anything, you need to look at it from four different perspectives:

What it’s made of
What structure it has
What created it
Why it exists

The Five Whys asks: “Why did this happen?”

Aristotle’s model asks: “What type of cause explains this?”

This is not a deeper question—it’s a different dimension of thinking.

Thinking with this framework can look like this:

Cause	PM Translation	Type of Problem	Examples	Typical Wrong Fix
Material Cause	Resources	Capacity / Constraints	• Not enough QA • Budget limitations • Tooling gaps • Unrealistic timelines	Pushing the team to “work faster” instead of adjusting capacity or scope
Formal Cause	System Design	Structure	• Poor backlog definition • Unclear processes • Weak architecture decisions • Misaligned workflows	Adding more meetings or micromanagement instead of fixing the system
Efficient Cause	Execution	Delivery	• Low productivity • Communication breakdowns • Lack of accountability • Ineffective ceremonies	Redesigning the process instead of coaching or improving execution
Final Cause	Purpose	Direction	• Misaligned priorities • Unclear business goals • Delivering output without value • Teams optimizing for the wrong outcome	Optimizing delivery speed instead of realigning goals and value

Next time something goes wrong in your project, pause and ask:

Material → Do we have the right resources?
Formal → Is the system well designed?
Efficient → Is execution effective?
Final → Are we solving the right problem?

Why Reviews Matter: From Agile Sprints to Personal Growth

One of the most powerful habits I’ve learned from my work in project management—and that I now apply to my personal life—is the art of the review.

In Agile methodologies, we have daily stand-ups to check in on progress, clear blockers, and keep everyone aligned. We also have weekly or biweekly sprint reviews to assess what’s been done, what needs improvement, and what we’ve learned. These moments of reflection are not just rituals; they are rhythm-setting tools that keep the project moving in the right direction.

But the concept of reviewing isn’t limited to teams or tech projects. It shows up in productivity systems like David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) too. GTD emphasizes regular review: checking your daily to-do list, updating your priorities, and setting aside time—ideally weekly—to reflect on open loops, completed tasks, and upcoming responsibilities. Without the review process, the whole system can break down.

This made me realize: whether it’s a client project or a personal goal, reviewing is how we stay on track. Without reviewing, we risk falling into the trap of being busy without being intentional.

The Power of One Weekly Goal

Lately, I’ve adopted the habit of setting a weekly goal—just one. I ask myself, “What would make this week feel like a win?” It could be something work-related, a step in my PhD research, or even something personal like organizing my closet or calling a friend I’ve been thinking about. That one goal becomes my anchor, and the review at the end of the week helps me see whether I honored it—or what got in the way if I didn’t.

And here’s something I’ve noticed: that weekly goal doesn’t have to be something big. In fact, sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from finally tackling something I’ve been procrastinating on. Often, I’ve found that the reason I was avoiding the task wasn’t laziness or poor time management—it was lack of clarity. I didn’t have all the necessary information, or the next step wasn’t clear enough. Once I take a moment to write down exactly what’s missing, the resistance starts to fade.

So now, part of my weekly review includes asking myself:

What am I avoiding?
Why?
Is it truly difficult, or just undefined?

This small habit has helped me turn stuck tasks into finished ones—and reduce the mental clutter that comes with carrying them around week after week.

The Reviews That Matter Most

Here are the types of reviews I’ve found most helpful, both in my professional and personal life:

Daily Review: A quick check-in to see what’s on your plate, adjust priorities, and clear any mental clutter. It helps you stay grounded and realistic about what can actually get done today. I often do this the night before, reviewing my calendar and time-blocking focus time so I’m set up for a productive morning.
Weekly Review: This is where the magic happens. It’s a deeper reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what needs attention next. From this weekly review, three key outcomes emerge:
1. Define a Weekly Goal – Just one. Something meaningful that, if completed, would make the week feel like a win.
2. Clarify Next Actions – Break down lingering tasks or open loops into specific, doable steps. This reduces friction and makes execution easier.
3. Review Upcoming Meetings – Look at your schedule to mentally prepare for the week and ensure your time is aligned with your priorities. Sometimes this helps me reschedule, cancel, or better prepare for what’s ahead.

These reviews don’t have to be lengthy, but they can transform how you experience your week—turning chaos into clarity, and busyness into intentional progress.

A Final Reflection

In the end, whether it’s Agile, GTD, or just your own way of staying organized, the common thread is reflection. Reviews help us slow down, spot what’s working, and gently course-correct when it’s not. By setting one clear weekly goal, checking in with ourselves, and examining the reasons behind procrastination, we create a rhythm that supports real progress—both professionally and personally.

Whether you’re managing a product launch or managing your own life, reviews give you perspective. They help you adjust, recalibrate, and move forward with intention.

So here’s your invitation: What would make this week feel like a win?