How to do less work and get more done
The Insight
The fastest way to ensure a project fails is to overcomplicate it. Unfortunately for many Project Managers, overcomplicating projects is too easy.
Inflexible procedures and irrelevant templates complicate projects and create red tape that Project Managers must cut their way through, often finding themselves blindly travelling down a rabbit hole without realising until it’s too late to jump out.
When projects are overcomplicated from the get-go, Project Managers tend to focus on what has worked before rather than taking the time to examine the best solution to the problem at hand. This can make project tasks more onerous and more confusing.
Often, the key to success is to simplify the project.
The Impact
To the benefit of all, successful project outcomes typically come from the simplest approach.
The only way to start simplifying a project is to fully understand it because on face value, many projects appear more difficult than they actually are. Project Managers can put intricate processes and technology in place at the start of the project before they understand what they are trying to achieve.
So first, what project outcomes are you trying to achieve?
Even the most complicated projects are often just several smaller, simpler tasks that together seem complicated. By breaking jobs down to simple tasks, you can easily assign work, monitor progress, and gain specific feedback to reduce inefficiency.
Through years of experience and the oversight to see a project for what it really is, Project Managers are understandably in the best position to ensure success. Project Managers need to understand what their scope is, break tasks down into steps, and most importantly, have the confidence to implement it without feeling the pressure from the broader leadership team.