How Will You Ensure That Your NEXT Project is a Success?

Take a moment to think of a past project…

• Who was on the team and how did they perform? Was it a success? Were they engaged?
• Was there a plan? Was it executed well? Were action items monitored and controlled to ensure that the project maintained its course and within scope?
• Were requirements met: Quality? Budget?
• Were risks minimized?
• Were there any changes? If so, were those changes communicated to all relevant stakeholders and were the transitions and/or pivots smooth?

The following will provide an example of the importance of having the right key players on your team.

I recently purchased a lake cabin on a one-acre wooded lot with a small creek and access to nearby trails. This was to be my serenity now place.

In acquiring this property, I wanted to work with an experienced team. I had a realtor, a mortgage lender, an insurance agent, a surveyor, an appraiser and a title company. With this property being in an estate, it was an as-is purchase. Fortunately, I have family members with relevant background who were also a part of the team. They were involved during the whole process: one is a homebuilder (structure) and the other owns an HVAC business (mechanicals: heating, air, plumbing, electrical). Check, check, check. I had the industry experts I needed, who were bringing their specific knowledge to the table. Seems like a fairly straightforward project with a highly skilled team. I am purchasing a home and this team consists of people who get it, want it and have the capacity to make it happen. Seems like a homerun, right? 

I wish I could say that having a competent team is all that is needed for a successful project. However, team members also need to share the same values and have the right dynamics for how things get done. If there is ONE person on the team who is not a right fit, it can derail the entire project. I had ONE person who was competent, but self-interested and left out a very important detail. So while I do own the cabin and it WILL be amazing, I don’t have the serenity now I was hoping for… quite yet.

As a result, costs have increased significantly and timelines have been extended by months in order to remedy the issue, which means additional work to be done before any progress can be made, commuting back-and-forth as well as paying two mortgages. Lesson learned!

Team dynamics are important. Just as projects are all unique, so are people. While people can share some similarities, it is the entire package (talents, interests, experience, knowledge, values, how they are wired to accomplish goals or solve problems, etc.) and how they complement the rest of the team that determine results.  

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