Tag: project planning

Set Your Goals

MattLeave a Comment on Set Your Goals


With the new year in full swing, let’s talk about goal setting. Goal setting and tracking should be an essential part of your planning process. If you don’t have the Commander’s Intent in mind before starting, you are likely to end up somewhere nobody anticipated, with little idea of how you got there.

The article linked above is interesting because it states that the Commander’s Intent is not simply the end state, but also a description of the tasks, and sometimes, the purpose of the mission. This helps teams better understand the reasons for the mission and thus helps them think proactively about achieving the preferred end state.

Does this take more effort? Sure. Does it delay the work? In the short term. Is it worth it? Absolutely. The time and effort spent planning and tracking your goals will reap plenty of rewards in terms of a shared vision, results, and knowledge.

There are plenty of tools out there for goal planning, I’ll list some below. But the main point is to take the time to think about your goals BEFORE starting any project and to revisit them while you are chasing them. Otherwise, it’s very hard to know where you came from and even harder to control where you are going.

http://milestoneplanner.com/

http://www.goalsontrack.com/

http://weekplan.net/why/

Lessons From the Sock Drawer

MattLeave a Comment on Lessons From the Sock Drawer

You start out with the best intentions. Everything is in order. Everything has a reason for being there. But somewhere down the road, it happens. You stop getting the same results. Sometimes you take out more than you put in. Sometimes you add new things in to the mix without taking out the old.

At some point, things start getting a little out of line. No worries though, you always seem to find what you’re looking for, it just takes a little more time. Fast forward a little bit. Soon, you can only find one pair that matches and one of them has a hole in it. But it’s 6:58 and you have to be out the door by 7 so you take what you can find and rush out the door. Everything was so orderly at one time and now it’s a wreck. How did this happen?

Sound familiar? Is your sock drawer a mess? Don’t keep adding to an already cluttered agenda. If something needs added, see how it fits in with earlier plans. Does it replace something you already do? Are you (or somebody else)  already doing it and don’t know it?Are you doing some things just because you’ve always done them?

Often this is the case. If we keep adding responsibilities and initiatives without regard for prior objectives, it’s easy to get off track. If this new initiative truly is more useful than the old one, figure out how to effectively combine them. Or, better yet, get rid of the old one. If you  keep your agenda focused, it’s easier to focus on your agenda.

Four Ways to Keep Projects in Motion

MattLeave a Comment on Four Ways to Keep Projects in Motion

As Newton’s first law states:

An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Ever feel like you are continually being acted upon by unbalanced forces? While trying to overcome the unbalanced forces is probably another (series) of blog posts. I would recommend that each of us do our best to keep the project rolling. How do we do so?

  • Sum it up:
    Projects often get bogged down when people aren’t sure what they are expected to deliver in the next phase. End each meeting or call with a wrap up that details specifically what was decided and who is responsible for handling each deliverable. This is often relegated to the meeting minutes but it’s important to reinforce what’s been decided before the meeting ends. This gives everyone involved the chance to clarify the goals one last time, something we may be unwilling to do if we are simply e-mailed a meeting summary.
  • Check up:
    If you’re worried about a project and haven’t heard anything on it, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Just make sure to come across as helpful, not as a dictator. This can also be achieved by building a project time line with regular update intervals. Don’t forget to give credit where it’s due!
  • Keep it moving:
    We’ve all been stuck behind the car driving a little too slow and it’s always amazing to see the trail of cars that piles up in the rear view mirror. Don’t be the project roadblock. Respond to inquiries in a timely, organized manner. Alan Weiss, adheres to a two hour rule.
  • Keep it moving (forward):
    Keep the project moving forward, don’t get bogged down with endless details  and re-dos. Once something is done, put a stake in the ground and move forward while keeping your goals, quality, and the customer in mind. This gives the project momentum and gives those involved a sense of accomplishment.  Motion is good, but direction is a key component, otherwise you’ll end up where you started, just more tired.