I Like Projects Because I Like Change

Most change needs the coordinated effort of more than one person and projects are the construct for achieving results from our efforts.

By construct, I mean that the word 'project' is simply the taxonomy we use to describe a way of doing something. If someone tells you, "I worked on a big project last year," what are they really saying?

• I was a key contributor to a significant outcome?
• I was focused on achieving a goal in concert with others?
• I suffered under an inflexible regime in order to keep my job?
• What's on the lunch menu today?

Projects can generate strong emotional reactions - both positive and negative. But projects in their basic form are neutral. They are just of way of getting something done. So, how does it happen that some projects earn the nickname 'crowning achievement' where others are called a 'death march'?

I think it's because at their core projects are human enterprises. They contain all the necessary ingredients for both great (hope, dreams, ambition, conviction) and underwhelming (ignorance, prejudice, ambivalence, conviction) achievement.

Projects engage me because they hold so much promise. They can encapsulate achievement, whether it's building a beautiful house, a useful program, or a better health care system. But they're not easy. The world is chock-a-block full of processes, methodologies, tools, dashboards, and all kinds of 'techniques' to help manage projects. But still, they're not easy. That's because success in projects comes from things that are deeper than dashboards. They come from and through … us.

I've been fortunate to make a decent living helping other people's projects work better. It's fun and rewarding and it lets me get to know some pretty talented clients. I know a project team is on the right track when they let go of the idea that their success is measured by some dashboard ("if we code the status yellow, they'll stomp all over us!"), and start to visualize what they could possibly achieve. It has almost invariably been more than the team initially realized!