If Game of Thrones was an IT Company

After our articles on Star Wars and the Marvel universe, it is now time to talk about one of the most popular TV series of recent years: Game of Thrones. What role would some of the most famous characters from Game of Thrones play in an IT organisation?

Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen: PMO Manager

In an organisation, the PMO, or Project/Programme/Portfolio Management Office, is the body responsible for all ongoing projects and programmes. It has the task of supervising and coordinating all initiatives and activities that are taking place within the organisation.

The PMO Manager is the figure around whom the team is created and structured and it is the PMO manager’s task to identify and recruit resources according to the chosen PMO structure.

For this reason, the three great strategists of the series are the ones who could fill the role of PMO manager, in three different organisations, of course!

Lord Varys: Human Resources Manager

The role of the Human Resources Manager is fundamental for the management of an organization and its resources.

Lord Varys is, in fact, not only able to influence and manoeuvre the highest spheres of government, but also has a dense network of collaborators, his “little birds”, who manage to get him any kind of information not only within the walls of his Kingdom, but also beyond.

For this reason, the “weaver spider” possesses all the skills required of a successful Human Resources Manager: he is able to get in touch with all the members of the organisation, understand their psychology and succeed in influencing them by creating a strong corporate culture. But the great strength of his strategies lies in his ability to select staff: a loyal and dedicated team ready to help him in any situation.

Jorah Mormont e Verme Grigio: Service Transition Manager

A Service Transition Manager must:

• Plan service transactions to service usage
• Coordinate resources
• Ensure that necessary changes are made to the product life cycle so that changes have minimal impact on IT services
• Approve products and determine that they meet operational expectations without having a negative impact on customers, users and the company
• Verify that the service works in both predictable and abnormal situations and support in case of failures or errors

When one thinks of these activities applied to an army, it immediately seems obvious how Jorah Mormont and Grey Worm have been two impeccable Service Transition Managers in the service of Daenerys Targaryen.

The Mother of Dragons was very good at selecting them to manage different teams with different needs and leaving them under the leadership of two competent and loyal leaders.

Tyrion Lannister: Risk Manager

A Risk Manager must have strong analytical skills and a deep knowledge of the industry in which he or she operates, as well as economic and financial knowledge. Soft skills include communication, attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure, to make quick decisions and analytical thinking.

Tyrion Lannister possesses all the skills needed to be a successful Risk Manager, and it is because of his strong aptitude for risk assessment and risk management that he should be in this role in a successful IT organisation.

Tormund: Team Leader

If Daenerys has been able to choose excellent Service Transition Managers, Jon Snow has allied himself with an unrivalled Team Leader.

Tormund, forced to juggle the structured demands and expectations of Jon Snow and the barbarian horde to which he belongs in order to defeat the Night King, has no choice but to operate using Agile methodology to ensure that the two teams work together and achieve their goals.

This role is particularly suitable for Tormund because it is a leadership role, rather than a resource management role, and the selected professional is valued by colleagues as the best resource to guide them through a particular phase of a project.

Samwell Tarly: Marketing Project Manager

Samwell Tarly is a character who for much of the series remains silent and has little impact on the most significant changes, only revealing his potential at the end. Common sense, deduction skills, organisation and problem solving are some of the characteristics that Samwell Tarly has in common with a Marketing Project Manager.

Furthermore, the role of Marketing Project Manager is one of those that come into play later than others: the product is now (almost) developed and it is time to promote it to the market. Samwell proved his value in the same way by being less operational but becoming a key element in the defeat of the Night King.

Jaime Lannister: Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is a reference point for the entire Scrum Team. He or she plays the role of leader with the main responsibility of acting as a facilitator for the Product Owner and the team.

Jaime became famous with the nickname “exterminator of kings” and this is exactly how he led his father Lannister’s troops to victory: by eliminating the reference point of the opponents.

If the Scrum Master’s job is to facilitate the development of working software and help the development team deliver the product increment, Jaime has always done the same by facilitating the conquests of the Lannister armies.

Tywin Lannister: Business Analyst

The Business Analyst is responsible for improving an organisation’s processes, services and products by analysing data and documents. He or she must assess the business model and help bridge the gap between IT and the business.

Tywin Lannister undoubtedly ran his house as a successful Business Analyst would: understanding business change needs, assessing their impact on the business, analysing and documenting requirements. He or she is also supporting the communication and delivery of requirements towards key stakeholders (and ultimately waging wars and arranging marriages).

Despite all these activities, the Lannister progenitor has managed to maintain control over the 4 key areas of his business: Organisation, Resources, Processes and Technology. But unfortunately he has underestimated the risk appetite of his son, Tyrion.

Melisandre: Scrum Product Owner

The main task of the Scrum Product Owner is to maximise business value for the project by defining customer requirements and ensuring business justification throughout the project.

Melisandre primarily possesses the soft skills that the Scrum Guide indicates as necessary for the role of Scrum Product Owner:

• Uncertainty management skills
• Negotiation skills
• Availability
• Proactivity
• Incisiveness
• Pragmatism
• Results-oriented

Although she is a person and not a committee, she is fundamentally the voice of the Client and it is Melisandre’s centralising personality that makes her perfect for this role.

Sansa Stark: Project Manager

The Project Manager is responsible for the project towards the project board, which in the case of Sansa is the Stark family. He has to manage the project on a daily basis, by planning and monitoring activities. He is the professional figure who guides the project team in achieving their project objectives.

Certainly over the course of the seasons, Sansa has developed many skills that she has been able to use to achieve her main goal: ensuring the survival of the Stark family (or at least a part of it!).

Bran Stark: Enterprise Architect

The Enterprise Architect is in charge of all the company’s services, software and hardware, by supervising, updating and improving them. In particular, the main task of an Enterprise Architect is to build a technological system that can support the company’s business strategy by controlling both its technical and strategic aspects.

Bran Stark is undoubtedly the one who pulls all the structural strings of the series, knows everything and works to ensure that the organisation functions efficiently and effectively.

Arya Stark: DevOps Leader

The DevOps Leader is in charge of digital transformation: he/she applies innovative techniques that have proven their effectiveness in organisations at the forefront of digital transformation. The DevOps Leader’s job is to enhance the team’s ability to develop products and thereby increase the organisation’s productivity.

Indeed, it was Arya who brought many innovations to the Stark family: the first female swordsman to fight after learning fighting techniques in remote lands. The innovations learned and introduced by Arya made it possible for the Stark family and all the Houses of the North to face the Night King and his troops.

Petyr Baelish, Ditocorto: Scrum Developer

The Scrum Developer is responsible for the delivery of a functional element of the product at the end of each sprint, and is therefore strongly encouraged to work by objectives. His or her responsibilities include:

• Achieving the objectives defined for each sprint
• Participating in daily scrum meetings and reporting on the activities planned for the day
• Assuring the Product Owner and Scrum Master that the assigned work is done as planned
• Reporting to the Scrum Master any obstacles to the continuation of the project
• Identifying any opportunities to improve the current sprint and agree on possible improvements for the next sprint

This work is therefore extremely focused on the organisation, control and communication, and is especially suitable for those who have strong team working skills. Littlefinger has too many of them, as he never knows which house to align himself with.

If you play the same role as one of these people and want to know more about the related certifications, please read the linked articles. If you already know what training would be suitable for you, check out our virtual courses or on-site training to see the next dates.

If you have any questions, please write to us!