A Mission for Every Project

 

Every business has projects in the works, and every business has had projects fail. Some go astray, and sometimes they go horribly wrong, costing a lot of money. When one looks back on failed projects over time, one wonders, "What were we thinking?" 20/20 hindsight is incredibly accurate, especially when projects begin by looking forward with rose-colored glasses.

We've all heard about the importance of developing a business mission statement. Every business should have one, and many do. The mission statement directs efforts and defines the reason for existence in a way that everyone can understand. In the same way, a mission works for projects.

When starting a new project within the company, spending a little time creating, defining, and agreeing on the mission of the project will help those working on it understand it better and stay focused on the intended outcome (s). They will be able to see their contribution to this project and the company as a whole. A mission statement should explain why the project is being created, what the desired outcome(s) are, and what the benefits of creating and implementing it are.Once the mission is defined, it is critical to determine whether the project and expected outcome are congruent with the business's mission; if not, either modify the project or abandon it and move on to another. This step weeds out dead ends that are a waste of time and enthusiasm (time and enthusiasm are terrible things to waste).

As a project progresses from concept to outline to prototyping, testing, modification, retesting, and finally finished design and implementation, it's critical to check in at each stage to ensure the project stays on track and on mission. It is easy to veer off course and miss the intended outcome, so a "mid-course correction" should be planned and implemented so that the project remains on track.

Instead of eventually ending up on the trash heap of well-intentioned but failed attempts, returns the desired outcomes.

So, when starting a new project, begin with the following statements: "The mission of this project is (fill in the blanks)." "This project's expected outcome is: (fill in the blanks)." "This project's anticipated benefits are: (fill in the blanks)." If you define your projects in this manner, everyone involved in the project will understand why you / they are taking on the project and what the expected or desired outcomes are. Everyone will be more focused, and the results will benefit your company rather than harm it.