Actually no project that I have worked on the past has
resulted in desired outcomes because most of the programs that I have had have
always come across unforeseen circumstances. One instance of a project that did
not get the desired outcomes was when I was a biology major. I conducted a lot
of experiments but the one that stayed with me the most happened when I grew
many different soybean plants in the greenhouse.
There are many factors that need to be taken into account
when you grow plants in the greenhouse of which you are not in charge. If you
are not in charge, then you have to conduct your experiments based on other
people's time. Most of the time, the greenhouse is not open on the weekend and
they are not open during lunch hours and if anyone calls in sick then there
creates another problem.
In this experiment, I grew plants of three different soybean
plants that are indigenous from three different areas of the world.
Unfortunately, for this experiment to be successful, the plants need daily
around the clock care. However, daily around the clock care could not be
attained for the many reasons aforementioned. However, I am not saying that the
project was a complete failure because the plants grew unusually. Thus, this
unusual growth that was due to atypical growing conditions resulted in
unforeseen outcomes.
From what I have learned all of my life, many breakthroughs
in science and other disciplines have come about by accident. Therefore, as
mentioned earlier, the experiment produced unexpected outcomes because I was
using someone else's facility. When you use someone else's facility, you have
to abide by their rules and operating times. This can make it almost impossible
to conduct a variety of experiments-- especially those that require daily and
around the clock care.
In order to make the project/experiment more successful, I
could have chosen to study different types of soybeans that did not require so
much attention, or chosen to study a different plant altogether. If I would
have taken into account these instances then the limitations of the
experimental environment would not have been such a factor.
Great example! As I am taking my first stab at growing vegetables this year, this post is very relevant for me. I am curious how the growth was unusual and what kind of learnings you made. From my experience, growing always has unforeseen obstacles. I started my grade prior to the start of our PM class; however, I very much took a PM approach. I first started by making sure the project was viable (soil conditions, sun exposure, etc), then took a moment to ensure I wanted and was able to commit to the ongoing maintenance needed. I did a lot of research to select what to grow and when, preparation needs, etc. Then made a VERY detailed growing schedule to ensure I knew when to plant, when to weed, water, pick, etc. And also ensure my stock plants were spaced out enough to ensure continuous harvest (for carrots, lettuce, etc). I had my first unforeseen obstacle last weekend when something dug up my entire first row of carrots - touching nothing else in the garden. Employing the "intelligent flexibility" we learned about last week, I have come up with some new solutions.
ReplyDeleteHi Marcus!
ReplyDeletei love growing experiments, though I am sorry to hear yours fell to unforeseen circumstances. Thanks for sharing.