Project Management Tips

The Ecstasy and the Agony

Understand that mistakes happen, plan for them and accept them

The first days of a project are always sweet. Excitement swells about something new, a growing hope emerges of getting away from the old. Optimism is especially fervent if the new project is sexy, such as a video game. Even in circumstances where the work is more mundane, a large database project for example, people are happy to try their hand at something fresh. They hope that this time around, the work process might be more positive than in the past. However most of the time, the reality of projects is hard to swallow. Things go wrong, people get upset and workers burn out.

The reason for initial optimism is obvious. In the beginning there is deep denial at play, clouding the good judgment of each participant. Projects are like a broken relationship viewed in retrospect, the good times shine brighter than the misery, bringing the ex-participant to pick up the phone and dial her number. The mind moves to the end result, imagining a successful project delivery, credit for a job well done and a handsome paycheck. In a most human fashion, people avoid thinking about the complexity and inevitable difficulty that is part of every project. In the beginning there is simply a focus on the positive, with an unhealthy dose of amnesia.

True to all projects, once the beginning phase ends and production is in full swing, the problems, the blame and the finger pointing begin. Everyone experiences a sinking feeling in their stomachs when they realize the obvious solution now escapes them, or the path of their choosing leads nowhere. Team morale sinks, politics and contempt start to infect everyone. Long lost dreams of a perfect project delivery fade, and nothing but the new hope of a quick end remains. The focus of the team shifts entirely to a deadline of relief, to an end of stress. People begin to hate what they are doing, and their negativity spreads like a bad cold.

Focus on the Reality of Projects: Mistakes Happen

The secret to avoiding this common trap is to focus on the reality of projects and to communicate it to your team. To explain up-front that there will be failures, redesigns, scope creep and reworks. That these are inherent components of every production effort, and that they are healthy and expected to a certain degree. If the overall message includes a discussion of these displeasing project attributes, the ability to deal with and resolve them when they arise skyrockets dramatically. Team members will not get into a cycle of guilt and blame for failure and mistakes; rather, they will take responsibility and move on. If the project discovery and planning meetings include a real world explanation of what could go wrong, how management will make changes even at the last minute and how to rebound from mistakes, your team will end a project on a much more positive level.

There is another level of improvement put into play by explaining these principals to your team. By outlining to each worker what they can expect during the project process, they are not surprised when things like reworks and changes occur. Since it is something they have been warned about, they will be much less likely to panic and feel as if they are losing control of the project. A common response by workers is to feel fear when the unforeseeable arises. Taking these steps to clarify what might happen removes the surprise, and the associated negative effects.

Imagine a better ending to your projects. If the project environment is open to mistakes, and everyone has similar expectations, people will maintain a positive work attitude, and the quality of projects will increase. As your project moves through its cycles, the morale will maintain a more level position. Perhaps morale will move up and down from time to time, but avoiding the all too familiar dive towards project desperation is key to project success.



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