Project Phase 2: Manifest Success Through Better Planning

In case you haven’t noticed, my theories surrounding many project and business success strategies are all based on the concept of good communication.

Not just speaking with others, but collecting and engaging all parties, and achieving a shared understanding and a space where information can be exchanged equally.

Throughout history great working groups known as think tanks have come up with great things like foreign policies and international relations. The idea of collective intelligence makes so much sense because it’s collecting knowledge from many unique pools of data to build an ocean of understanding. The additive of all involved equitably is what produces the greatest outputs and energy for that ocean to flourish.

How you manifest the success of a project wholly depends on the success of the inter working between participants. I’m not necessarily saying failure is ‘in the cards’ if your team isn't all participating 100% and best friends the whole time, but it does depend on how well the goals and needs of the project are met.

The map, and the Puzzle pieces.

I like to think of the second phase of project planning as both creating a bigger picture, while sorting out the puzzle pieces that make up the pictures’ backer board, and the combined result is the project output or solution; a completed puzzle of a big picture.

However, the quality of that map-puzzle is wholly dependent on the information which was collected in the phase before it. The collective understanding and output from phase one guides what the picture looks like, defines the puzzle pieces and their edges, as well as how they fit together. The more details you have, the more puzzle pieces you have. The puzzle pieces you have, the more complex or detailed the map/puzzle can be.

For this reason I put the majority of my emphasis on the first step. But phase one is really just an idea of collective understanding towards a shared goal. The goal of phase two is to define how we /reach/ what we identified in phase one.

It’s the map for the path forward; based on the big picture.

How to plan better:

1. Start with compliance.

I’m gonna sound like a broken record here, but understanding compliance, and your obligations, whether they are your boundaries for your project or your expectations for your project, compliance should be your first topic of order.

How you do achieve compliance is how you will drive your approach.

2. Over communicate.

Why anyone would want to put an obstacle in the way of their own planning is beyond me. Someone working in a silo, or otherwise, not engaging or asking questions of surrounding support humans, is a detriment to a project.

I do not believe in wasting time; if you don’t need the whole team for every meeting, don’t make them attend. Instead, have a common access place for notes to be posted, and make it common practice to actually take notes. Documenting the outputs of these meetings is what can prove progress, or validate and answer questions later for anyone who might have need.

Expectations clearly defined throughout the project planning process can be helpful for all involved. Additionally, Never leave decision makers out of the planning process.

The last thing you want to happen during the planning process is to inform the decision makers of the path forward without them knowing the potential for that path to occur. Simply, make sure they’re part of the process directly, or very well informed indirectly.

Planning takes research to ensure the selected assets, processes, or references fit the needs and restrictions of the expectations. If the decision maker is not directly already informing the planning, it’s the responsibility of the coordinator to make sure that individual is in-fact being at least fed information on planning progress and more.

3. Never act on assumptions without validating them.

I hate to be cheesy here, but you know what they say about assumptions...

Assuming something wrong is like adding a tripwire to your own project. Even knowing it’s there, you're still at risk for tripping over it. Seek to resolve them quickly.

Eventually, these tripwires will cause problems. Whether you acknowledge them and what you do when you see them coming is what will determine your end result, a.k.a. whether or not you trip yourself.

4. Be realistic.

Listen, far be it from me for my words to prevent you from reaching for the stars, if you want. But simply, if your project budget is $5000, then your solution cannot include options that take you to the moon.

You can’t get to the moon for $5000.

Is my example ridiculous? Absolutely. But the idea stands, you cannot achieve unrealistic goals if your boundaries do not allow for them. I love the structure of S.M.A.R.T goals for this reason.

5. Build visuals, and better yet, build visual timelines against everything.

Let's talk about another human aspect to project planning that isn’t often addressed; communication styles. Through understanding and working with all forms of communication styles in both external and internal customers, you can expect to progress and work together more effectively.

As a visual and kinesthetic learner myself, I am drawn to charts and graphics and learn best by watching then doing… Verbal instructions get lost. I literally need to draw a picture to understand things. Flowcharts, process diagrams, pictures and screenshots, or physical-ish representations of information is how I learn best.

Some folks are auditory learners and might not do as well looking at potentially confusing charts, and instead need the story in either a written or verbally presented format. These folks may also learn well through lectures, the lucky ducks.

In any project group, you’re never guaranteed to work in entirely with people who are all one or the other style, nor similar to your own communication style. By accommodating all forms through offering visuals with written documentation, I seek to ensure no one is left out of the opportunity to understand.

6: Never stop risk planning or analysis.

Ooops, I think my anxiety is talking.

Seriously though, risk planning is just a smart thing to do with any project, and the risks should be reviewed with each phase of the project. Just because you select one path with the best of intention, does not ensure that path will go as expected nor without a hitch.

Risk analysis and planning for potential challenges or roadblocks can save time and add value in the moment of a potential project failure. Otherwise, I hope you’re adept at responding to events of potentially critically impactable levels to protect your project, compliance, and timeline.

7. So. Many. Lists and documents.

The planning phase is only as successful as the documented output and written or other informative guidance provided to all necessary stakeholders.

In my world, this means lists upon lists upon lists. Each cross-referenced and validated, labeled and defined, and mapped to the overall compliance requirements.

Think of this as the very specific answers to the “Who” is doing “What” and “Why” they're doing it “Where” they’re doing it, and more specifically “How” it's being accomplished by “When”.

Read the Phase 1 to understand these references:

For this reason, I love project planning software or structured systems like ISO controlled processes which provide very specific frameworks and documents, planning resources and guidance. Not only does this ensure this process is done in a quality manner, but creates an environment of continued process improvement and consistency in business practices.

By doing these things effectively, you can create plans for projects in a controlled, repeatable manner.

Final thoughts on project planning and a challenge for you, dear reader.

Here’s a challenge: comment and tell me your favorite dinosaur and why it is your favorite. My favorite dinosaur is the Stegosaurus because it is the Colorado state dinosaur. They also have tail spikes which can grow up to 3 feet long. I enjoy a dangerous looking herbivore.

As for project planning, I encourage you to think about how you incorporate your team into all phases and aspects of your project, innovate your think sessions with more question exercises, and create consistency in quality deliverables through documentation, constant analysis, vigilance and validation. Keep all customers engaged with the project, clearly defining roles and responsibilities. Always bring an agenda to the meeting, and never leave one confused.

Stay curious, friends! Thanks for reading.