E.T. Phone Home
Movie lovers remember the lovable E.T. character who had an unplanned adventure on Earth. Regardless of his exciting experiences and new friendships, he remained focused on his one mission: to ‘phone home’ and ultimately return to his home planet.
As a project manager, it’s critical to maintain the same level of focus with each project, and regularly ‘phone home’ to reflect on the original scope of work. Employ a regular cadence allowing for reflection, improvements and project scope changes when needed. When speed and progress drive business requirements, it may feel counterintuitive to stop and reflect. But in those moments, some of your greatest insights can be made. This review strengthens the team’s performance and value delivery by validating how effectively they’re moving toward the original objective. It allows the team to assess operations, tactics, strategies and more, to determine if new developments present a need to adjust the original scope.
Utilizing the power of project iterations can make productivity soar, yet take you in unanticipated directions. How do you ensure the existing course stays aligned with the project’s original objectives?
Maintain short iterations and embrace the pause. Step back for reflection and reassessment, which is a powerful tool for sustaining progress and evaluating you are moving in the right direction.
Key Takeaways
- Schedule time blocks for review and reflection after each iteration
- Engage your team in the reflection and assessment process
- Look for effective working patterns and repeat them
- Adapt and change your approach, operations and strategy as appropriate
Photo credit: Moviestore