Q&A: What is the most important thing to do at the beginning of a project?

by | Questions & Answers | 0 comments

“It’s very easy to give advice, it doesn’t cost you anything” they say.

And if you receive them, especially unsolicited, you tend to reject them at first, even if some of them would actually help you. So, to avoid falling into that particular trap, I prefer to tell stories. Like the one below.

I have in my portfolio a category called Accelerators, services designed to help my clients work better in projects, with an accelerated change adoption.

And one of the biggest challenges I face almost every time is to convince everyone involved that initiating projects and planning them is not about tools, it’s not about methodology, it’s not about bureaucracy, it’s not about what the manager or the client wants and it’s not even about schedules or deadlines. Actually, it’s a bit about that too but, for the sake of the argument, let’s leave it like that.

Initiating projects is, first of all, about facilitating gaining the clarity needed between the Sponsor and/or client and the team. About understanding what we have to do and why. Only after we clarified what and why, we can answer, as a team, to the question: HOW do we do this.

The time presumably “lost” in initiation and planning is about gaining clarity, not about a “damned” plan that will change multiple times by the end of the project. And it’s time well spent for at least two reasons:

    It’s possible that the sponsor or the client has the best intentions and a wonderful project, but is not particularly proficient in explaining what he wants

    A team that does not understand what and why has all the chances to become demotivated.

    So, word of advice (I can’t resist, apparently 😊): Offer your team the gift of clarity! Especially when you plan in the presence of uncertainty!

    Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can support your journey:

    PM Consulting & Agile Coaching: Transform the way your cross-functional teams deliver projects with personalized guidance. Claim one of the few spots available at any given time, as, I work with a select number of recurring clients to provide expert insights drawn from nearly 17 years of hands-on experience.

    In-House Training: Choose an in-house training program with proven record in helping more than 5,000 participants and equip your team with practical knowledge in Project Management, Scrum Agile, and Change Management. Our engaging workshops combine project simulations and hands-on exercises, ensuring fast knowledge transfer in a fun and motivating environment.

    PM Mentors and Scrum Agile Mentors Programs: Enhance your skills in under 5 weeks. These programs blend recorded learning sessions, live weekly coaching, and accountability measures to help you learn faster and smarter and achieve your personal goals. (available only in Romanian language)

    Follow me on Linkedin: I post daily, share tips and tricks, and relevant topics in project management, agile and change management. Let’s connect and chat there until we have the chance to meet face to face!.

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