Potential for Success

I woke up this morning with a definitive plan in mind, but as with all great plans things will go wrong. Well that was a number of hours ago and the project I had intended to start this morning as you see here is just beginning. But isn't that the way it goes with things. You start with a great idea, you plan how to carry out that idea, and then you execute the plan.

But oh, how the wheels turn. It may begin with a phone call here or there. A decision is required for an earlier project you thought was done. Or my favorite, leave your name and number and I'll get right back with you. I used to say it's like, "getting a ten hour answer to say ten second question", sometimes it doesn't end.

While distractions, interruptions, and just plain lack of understanding get in the way of so many good plans, it's the ability to remain focused on the end goal that is most important. In my business and public life, I tend to ramble. The number one thing that I know that loses me business is my problem of "over-answering" a question. I think that comes from my directing too many projects where I got into the habit of micro-managing things.

In other words instead of laying a simple trail and waiting for questions, I jump ahead and answer the questions before hand. Not remembering everyone's mind doesn’t work the same or take information in the same way. My goal should be to tell the story, establish the value, and then close the deal. I guess the point here is, don't lose focus of the original goal.

In project management you have the holy trinity of time, cost, and scope, loss any one of these and the project becomes unsuccessful. With the planning of my day I lost sight of one if not all of these. The secret is to realize this and adjust for it, thereby avoiding the loss of focus, the rescheduling of time, and re-estimating of the cost. You may loss the illusion of perfection, but maintain the potential for success.