Project Management is basically “The Residence” on Netflix, a whole series of hidden agendas, unexpected twists, and cleaning up messes you didn’t make but still have to solve and I’ll explain why.
If you’ve watched The Residence on Netflix, the gripping murder mystery unfolding inside the White House, you’ll see the striking resemblance to project management chaos.
Being a Project Manager sometimes feels exactly like being Detective Cordelia Cupp, except instead of solving a murder, you’re trying to figure out:
📌 Who moved the project deadline without telling you?
📌 Where did these new requirements magically appear from?
📌 Why is everyone acting like they told you things they definitely didn’t?
📌 Most importantly, how do you solve the chaos without losing your mind?
Let me break it down. In The Residence:
📌The White House is the Project Environment
📌The Staff are Stakeholders
📌Detective Cupp is YOU, the Project Manager
📌The Plot Twists? those are Scope Changes.
What lessons did I learn as a PM while watching this series?
📌Everyone has secrets (hidden agendas): In projects, not every stakeholder tells you everything upfront. Some hold back information and request for new requirements/features to be added.
📌 Communication is your biggest weapon: Detective Cupp asked questions, observed behaviors, and listened actively, just like a good PM should.
📌Not everything is as it seems: That one friendly stakeholder might casually drop a “by the way” that reveals a major blocker halfway through a sprint
📌 Every clue matters: Emails, chat messages, document EVERYTHING. You never know which small detail will save the project.
My Final Thoughts:
Being a Project Manager isn’t just about task lists and timelines. It’s about Investigating issues, managing personalities, solving mysteries, navigating chaos, protecting your team and making sure the project still gets delivered (without a murder hopefully😂).
So next time your project starts feeling like a scene straight out of The Residence, put on your detective hat, stay calm and ask smart questions.
PS: If you’ve watched The Residence, tell me, who was your favorite character and if you’re a PM, what’s your wildest “project mystery” story?