As a business owner, director, senior executive, or manager, your plate is constantly full. There's always so much to do, and it often feels like there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done. Your primary role is to run the business, and that means entrusting others with specific tasks and responsibilities. Trusting your team is essential, but what happens when things start to go awry?
 
When everything runs smoothly, you can focus on the big picture. But when issues arise, they can quickly become all-encompassing. If your business is built on projects, the fate of your business is intertwined with the success of those projects. It's the first rule of CS projects: the project is for the business, and this principle should guide both the project itself and your business strategy.
 
However, do you always achieve your intended outcomes from a project, not just in financial terms, but also in terms of relationship building, repeat business, recognition, learning, growth, and timely resource utilization?
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The truth is, sometimes you don't. Projects can derail, and when they do, it's because you're not getting what you need as a business. If project hiccups become a recurring theme, your business will suffer.
 
When embarking on a project, you typically have specific goals in mind. However, taking a hasty, inconsiderate approach is a recipe for failure. This is especially true when you factor in the diverse needs and expectations of all involved parties. Projects can quickly devolve into a standoff, causing everyone to lose out.
 
What's even worse is when the individuals managing the project for you are left to guess what you want. Their success becomes a matter of chance, and the results can be hit or miss. And if you, as the business leader, are unclear about your project objectives, success becomes an elusive goal.
 
So, what's the solution?
 
To ensure both project and business success, you must be crystal clear about your project's objectives and what your business needs from it. Additionally, understanding the expectations of other stakeholders is crucial. This approach increases the likelihood of a successful outcome that benefits everyone and maximizes the project's value.
 
Here's a practical approach:
 
1.Clearly Define Your Objectives: Highlight your project's goals and objectives, ensuring they align with your business's strategic vision.
 
2.Discover Others' Needs: Encourage your team to identify what other stakeholders want from the project. This collaborative effort can uncover win-win solutions.
 
3.Seek Compromises: Be open to making trade-offs when necessary. Sometimes, you may need to compromise on quality to meet deadlines or allocate additional resources to achieve broader project scope.
 
4.Keep interested to ensure the objectives are being met before it goes wrong and consumes all of your time.
 
Remember, if you don't seek understanding, you’re not interested, you're left in the dark, with no chance of achieving your goals. It's like throwing darts blindfolded.
 
So as a business, get intimate with your project. Give it the attention it deserves, and it will reciprocate by delivering value that satisfies everyone involved.
 
Rule No. 1 ‘The project is for the business’
 
If you need assistance or guidance to enhance your project management, don't hesitate to reach out to CS Projects. We're here to help you in a sustainable and manageable way.
 
This blog first appeared on www.cowshedprojects.com if you'd like to find out more or help with improving and working on your projects, please drop me a line.
 
Thanks for reading
 
Simon

Have you ever embarked on a project only to find it lost in a forest of uncertainty during the transition from ideation to realization? You're not alone. Managing the delicate middle phase of a project can be challenging, but it's crucial for achieving success. With nearly a hundred projects under my belt, I've seen this struggle firsthand, and I'm here to share insights on how to ensure your project doesn't wander off the path to success.
 
The Project Journey: From Idea to Reality
A project, much like a song, begins as an idea, a creative spark that ignites excitement and potential. But for it to truly come to life, it must transition from the realm of possibilities into something permanent and usable. This is where the journey can become complicated.
 
The Conflict Zone: Design vs. Build
One common source of conflict in project management arises from the tension between the desire to keep dreaming and the necessity of turning dreams into reality. The designers want to explore every creative avenue, while the builders crave certainty and tangible progress. This conflict often leads to watering down the project's original vision, escalating costs, and delayed timelines.
 
Before the transition, anything seems possible. Afterward, every change comes with consequences, and this is where the project can get lost in the forest of transition.
 
Developers may realize they can't have all the features they desire.
Designers see their intricate vision diluted.
Contractors find their margins shrinking due to scope changes and strained relationships.
In the end, if you're not careful, everyone loses, and the project remains stuck in the forest.
 
Finding a Win-Win Solution
But what if I told you there's a way for everyone to win, achieving 95% of their goals while maintaining project integrity? It's possible through a balanced approach that considers the needs of all stakeholders throughout the entire project.
 
The Need for Balance
Often, projects are managed by different entities focusing solely on design or construction, causing a disconnect when the transition occurs. What's required is a balanced approach that integrates the expertise of all parties involved, ensuring that everyone's goals align.
 
Imagine having a moderator who can harmonize all the stakeholders' desires and understand the reasons behind those desires.
 
The Recipe for Success
To get the best results at every stage of your project, you need continuity, collaboration, and forward thinking. This means maintaining a constant presence throughout the project, navigating the tricky middle section with an eye on both past and future developments.
 
The Solution: Constant Project Management
To deliver value and ensure project success, you need someone to guide you through the woods as quickly as possible, not an expert in design or construction, but an expert in managing the process. This constant presence ensures that the project stays on track, achieving both certainty and the creative vision.
 
Conclusion
In the world of project management, the middle transition is where many projects falter. To prevent your project from straying into the woods, you must manage this phase effectively. With a constant project management approach that balances all stakeholders' needs and desires, you can achieve the most successful project possible.
 
If you need advice or assistance with managing your projects, don't hesitate to reach out to CS Projects Management. We're here to help you navigate your project's journey in a sustainable and manageable way.
 
This blog first appeared on www.cowshedprojects.com. If you'd like to learn more or seek assistance in improving and working on your projects, please don't hesitate to drop us a line.
 
Thank you for reading.
 
Simon
Have you ever embarked on a project only to find it lost in a forest of uncertainty during the transition from ideation to realization? You're not alone. Managing the delicate middle phase of a project can be challenging, but it's crucial for achieving success. With nearly a hundred projects under my belt, I've seen this struggle firsthand, and I'm here to share insights on how to ensure your project doesn't wander off the path to success.
 
The Project Journey: From Idea to Reality
A project, much like a song, begins as an idea, a creative spark that ignites excitement and potential. But for it to truly come to life, it must transition from the realm of possibilities into something permanent and usable. This is where the journey can become complicated.
 
The Conflict Zone: Design vs. Build
One common source of conflict in project management arises from the tension between the desire to keep dreaming and the necessity of turning dreams into reality. The designers want to explore every creative avenue, while the builders crave certainty and tangible progress. This conflict often leads to watering down the project's original vision, escalating costs, and delayed timelines.
 
Before the transition, anything seems possible. Afterward, every change comes with consequences, and this is where the project can get lost in the forest of transition.
 
Developers may realize they can't have all the features they desire.
Designers see their intricate vision diluted.
Contractors find their margins shrinking due to scope changes and strained relationships.
In the end, if you're not careful, everyone loses, and the project remains stuck in the forest.
 
Finding a Win-Win Solution
But what if I told you there's a way for everyone to win, achieving 95% of their goals while maintaining project integrity? It's possible through a balanced approach that considers the needs of all stakeholders throughout the entire project.
 
The Need for Balance
Often, projects are managed by different entities focusing solely on design or construction, causing a disconnect when the transition occurs. What's required is a balanced approach that integrates the expertise of all parties involved, ensuring that everyone's goals align.
 
Imagine having a moderator who can harmonize all the stakeholders' desires and understand the reasons behind those desires.
 
The Recipe for Success
To get the best results at every stage of your project, you need continuity, collaboration, and forward thinking. This means maintaining a constant presence throughout the project, navigating the tricky middle section with an eye on both past and future developments.
 
The Solution: Constant Project Management
To deliver value and ensure project success, you need someone to guide you through the woods as quickly as possible, not an expert in design or construction, but an expert in managing the process. This constant presence ensures that the project stays on track, achieving both certainty and the creative vision.
 
Conclusion
In the world of project management, the middle transition is where many projects falter. To prevent your project from straying into the woods, you must manage this phase effectively. With a constant project management approach that balances all stakeholders' needs and desires, you can achieve the most successful project possible.
 
If you need advice or assistance with managing your projects, don't hesitate to reach out to CS Projects Management. We're here to help you navigate your project's journey in a sustainable and manageable way.
 
Thank you for reading.
 
Simon

In the fast-paced world of business, continuous improvement isn't just a buzzword; it's a necessity for growth and success. Effective management of project can seem like a Herculean task, filled with challenges and complexities. However, the path to better management is not an insurmountable mountain – it's a series of manageable steps that can transform your project outcomes.
 
**Embracing the Journey of Improvement**
 
Every journey towards excellence begins with acknowledging that there's always room for improvement. As your business evolves, so must your methods. The drive to enhance your management practices isn't just about staying ahead; it's about sustaining growth. After all, stagnation isn't an option if you want to thrive.
 
**The Approach: Simplify to Amplify**
 
Rather than aiming for a one-size-fits-all solution, break down the process. Imagine you are ascending a steep incline – one step at a time. Projects vary in nature, and trying to force a uniform methodology will lead to frustration. Instead, target individual aspects of your management process. Focus on one issue at a time, dig deep to uncover its root causes, and craft a solution that's elegantly simple.
 
**Navigating the Path to Clarity**
 
It's not uncommon to identify problems post-project and hastily implement a solution. Yet, oftentimes, these elaborate fixes fail to stick. Complexity breeds resistance. The remedy lies in honing in on the most pressing concern. Delve into its intricacies, and distill a solution that's focused and uncomplicated. The clarity you offer will resonate with your team, enabling them to rally behind a tangible solution.
 
**Simplicity: The Key to Sustainable Change**
 
As a leader, your role is to guide your team through change effectively. Sticking plasters – temporary fixes – won't yield lasting results. Simplicity is the true driver of change. Identify a singular issue that demands your attention and design a straightforward solution. Streamline it further until it solely targets the problem at hand. By keeping it simple, you create a platform for staff engagement and buy-in.
 
**The Power of Selective Progress**
 
Progress isn't about fixing what isn't broken; it's about addressing pressing issues that hinder growth. Not every aspect of your management process needs immediate attention. As you expand, focus on the areas that genuinely need improvement. Each issue addressed sets the foundation for the next step forward.
 
**Collaborative Support for Lasting Transformation**
 
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. Seeking guidance and support can significantly enhance your efforts. If you're seeking assistance in refining your project management practices, don't hesitate to reach out. CS Projects PMO is here to offer sustainable solutions that make a genuine impact.
 
**Conclusion**
 
In the realm of project management, improvement isn't just a goal; it's an ongoing commitment. Scaling the mountain of management challenges becomes less daunting when you approach it strategically. By simplifying solutions, targeting key concerns, and fostering team engagement, you're not just managing projects – you're building a pathway to lasting success.
 
This post originally appeared on www.cowshedprojects.com. To delve deeper into enhancing your project management or to receive guidance, feel free to drop me a line.
 
Thank you for reading,
 
Simon

​A series of blogs of lessons learnt or re learnt from a recent project, after all we all have room and need to keep learning!

EXPLANATION

I started my working life as a designer, I’ve learnt how to do a bit of estimating, have seen a lot of builds and ways of doing things, been involved in contracting.  If needed I do all these and more to an OK level.  I’m a know it all!  But I also realise I know nothing at all compared to other people. 
 
On this project there were gaps in skill sets and people far more gifted than me available, that’s life, there is always someone better and more knowledgeable.  (it’s why I like projects; you get to meet them!) 

As tempting as it was to do the work so that it was progressed quickly or it was something I was interested in, the value of me doing the work to the project is not as much as if someone who knows better than me does the work. 

It saves costs in time and accuracy and improves quality.  It’s obvious, right?  

SYNOPSIS

A manager’s prime role is to support and get those better than them the information they need.  You are not always the expert but always the enabler.   

It’s ironic and counterproductive sometimes that those best at doing something get moved into a position to stop do it.  As a manager even waiting an extra 24 hours when there is someone more knowledgeable and focused than myself saved 36 in the long run! 

And when no one was available to do the work and I stepped in.  Because that is better than it not being done at all!  You can’t always have an expert on tap!

LEARNING
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A manager’s prime role is to support and get those better or with more time and focus, the information they need to do their jobs.  When you manage you turn from being the expert to the enabler.  

It's ironic and counterproductive to be productive that those best at doing something stop being able to properly do it. 

​But on a project, it does save you time and money in the long run to let the experts do their job! Just make sure it does get done, even if it means doing it yourself.  

​Thanks for reading
 
Simon

​A series of blogs of lessons learnt or re learnt from a recent project, after all we all have room and need to keep learning!

EXPLANATION

There were several times that the project progress in design and specification hit an impasse with both designers and client not willing or able to make a decision.  As these moments linger you lose time and money and as tempting as it is to wait to avoid making the wrong decision, they don’t go away. 
 
On this project it was not the fault of either party, they just didn’t have either the client’s awareness of what was needed or the designer’s awareness of what was possible. 
 
It's easy to put these moments off, they usually occur when there is no obviously more right answer or solution, but in directing these to a decision we were able to move on and have some certainty.  Reducing cost and program creep.
 
Looking back there is very little evidence that those decisions would have been detrimental to the project had an alternate decision been made.  The only detriment would have been if left, by the time when we came to make the decision there would have been less money in the pot and it would have caused delays to other items that relied on that decision to progress themselves. 

SYNOPSIS

As with all decisions there is too quick, to slow and not at all.  Not at all is the worst thing.  If nothing is consciously done about a decision it effects all the other decisions that have to be made because of it.  It creates extreme uncertainty which snowballs. 

This means extra time and cost is spent finding out that there is no certainty and waiting to find out what that decision will be to affect the next decision.

LEARNING
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Here's the trick, first understand that there is more than one right decision, so most decisions are right, you can’t lose.  You can also make the decision not to decide until X is known. 

I know it may sound counter intuitive or even obvious, but in making a conscious decision until you have the right information to make that decision it allows everyone to move forward with some certainty that they must work around the lack of decision in the interim and find that X. 

If not, the uncertainty provokes blame and stagnation.

Thanks for reading
 
Simon

​A series of blogs of lessons learnt or re learnt from a recent project, after all we all have room and need to keep learning!

EXPLANATION

Working with a company with low PM maturity is fun and frustrating.  The main thing that is missing, apart from the vision from experience, are the protocols that protect them to gain certainty.  This goes the other way when they start to mature. 

You then have too many before a happy balance is reached between flexible and inflexible.  The main win on this last project was that when the project went into the home straight, we had cost certainty. 

Now this may be obvious, but this projects complexity was that it had no defined scope at the start.  Nothing to cost against.  So the project had to be flexible to define the scope that fitted into the program and cost. 

As the focus went past the cost stage and into the program stage, we had flipped the mentality and gained certainty on the more fluid design ideas and cost, ensuring that prices were fixed. 

This could have really delayed the program had this process not been integrated into the project as opposed to being a task.

SYNOPSIS

If it wasn’t for laying the foundations for a shift in focus the project would have ground to a halt. That focus had to suddenly change.  A sudden change usually means someone misses out. 

In this case it would have been either the client through the quality they were getting or the contractor in terms of over delivering for the allocated costs. 

It allowed for everyone to understand and know they were getting the value that they wanted.

LEARNING
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Looking forward and anticipating the major risks or required change in focus, helps you put the foundations in place for when they need to happen.

​This ultimately will save you money and time if people feel comfortable when those more difficult stages of a project happen.

​Thanks for reading
 
Simon