The problem with a project roadmap

Many project teams sweat over the project roadmap, the “what’s going to happen and when” of the project. It’s important. It keeps focus and shares intentions and expectations.

And this is all good.

But there could be a problem ... a disconnect of sorts. It’s right there in the name of it, roadmap.

Too often roadmaps are presented as boxes, tables full of words, cells from spreadsheets or complicated-looking calendars.

Tables, cells and columns may be great for actually working on the project, but for many people who don’t work in this way, they’re not so great for engaging and updating on the project story.

When you're dealing with future states or concepts, you've got to go for something that's as realistic as possible. People are in pain from information overload, bandwidth and capacity they don’t have, plus the fear and uncertainty of the unknown stuff that's ahead.

They may not even understand your table.

While you may love your spreadsheet, it may be saying so little to so many.

Road. Map. Keep tables for the work to be done and get better at sensemaking via map making.

What’s the new-A-U

Business as usual has been, well, business as usual (BAU) for ever!

In the business world it’s the stuff that’s done to make everyday operational activities happen.

So ...what’s the NEW A U ? What new things are happening that will bring about change? What’s planned up ahead that will continue to challenge thinking, challenge convention and bring a new mindset and behaviour to how things are done?

Whether you’re a leader of a team, a team member in an organisation, or a solo operator running yourown show, what's your ’new as usual’?

How are you bringing new things into your business regularly? The new can be scary, untested, untried. I heard someone recently say, ‘I’m not trying something new unless it's guaranteed to work’. But how will you know it could work, unless you try it?

New ways of thinking and working help you gain the benefits of those new ways sooner, delivering advantages and value to your customers, gaining the advances of first and early movers. Want to wait until more or the majority of people are doing something, because it’s less risky or safer? Great. Go line up and wait... over there. I’m moving along to NEW-A-U. See ya!

Not a perfectionist?

Not a perfectionist, just going for high standards. High standards are important. Need to keep working on this thing, tweaking it, making it 'better'.

This article in Yahoo Finance identifies four signs of perfectionism:

1. ‘Not good enough, yet’

2. There’s no end in sight to a project or task

3. Keep tweaking and tinkering

4. Working late or long hours Is this you or someone you know?

Read more via the article...

The road to nowhere

There you are about to start a new project or task. You're ready to go. You're ready to start ... but do you know when or where you will stop? Might you end up working on this task, idea or project and it has no known end?

How do you know where the end is?

I've learned much working with software developers these past 10 years; they work out the 'definition of done' before they even get started. How smart is that! To know when you'll be 'done' before you even get going!

The alternative is that crazy space where you start but you don't know what the finish looks like. Well you do, but it's a conjuring, your imagination at work, creating an image in your mind.

We're clever humans but bringing a mental image into reality is a tricky thing to do. This is why the pursuit of perfect is such a waste. The image keeps changing and we don't know when to stop.

Before you get started, work out where you will stop. Marathon runners do it; airlines, pilots and planes do it; taxis, trains and Ubers do it; chefs with recipes do it. What are you or the team working on right now that has no defined stop point? You're on a road to nowhere.

Pause, define the stop point and then re-start.

Bad systems beat good people

'A bad system will beat a good person every time' - so said W. Edwards Deming. 

You've got some great people in your team, on your project, in that meeting, attending the workshop. You really have. Great people.  

The thing is... the system - whatever system is at play in the project, meeting, workshop -often isn't working to support those great people. It may well be stifling them, stopping them, slowing them down or just slowly breaking their spirit, enthusiasm and sense that they can achieve something. 

Let those great people give the great ideas, suggestions, hunches, hopes and insights they have. Create a system that leverages the people and doesn't limit them. 

When you plan your next meeting, workshop, session, project, what systems will support the people to bring their greatness? That's the stuff to fix. Don't blame the people. Remedy the system or structure that's inhibiting them, hindering them or keeping them from doing their best.