Business Projects

Expensive and significant projects are commonplace. It is especially true in competitive marketplaces, "If you are not progressing, you can find yourself at a disadvantage." I can relate to every position in a project's process.  For the longest time, I was at the bottom or the middle, but I have been at the top a few times now.

The budget for the project is key!  The birth of a project is a fiscal purpose.  There is a calculated investment to be made and that cost is in comparison to the status quo.  Often times, there is a number of years paying for the investment before a profit is realized. A very significant part of that cost is the project implementation budget.

Why do projects often go over budget?  Even when I was at the bottom, that was a major irritant of mine.  Somebody somewhere was lacking the discipline required to stay under budget.  It could be the engineers overlooked a detail, or a contract labor mishap, an overlooked market fact, or just flat out bad management.

When expensive things go wrong, who is going to take the blame?  The answer to that is the main reason that business likes to hire credentials.  It's the ultimate CYA response to a failure situation, "the people who failed have the credentials to succeed, so it's not my fault!" Sometimes the finger pointing and dodging grows to take precedence over solving the problem.

There will always be side tracks and challenges to overcome.  Expensive projects are inherently complicated.  The best planning and diligence of one person can not uncover every circumstance. Every reasonable effort should be made to that goal.  Unfortunately, that lack of effort is usually the reason for going over budget. The successful effort required is too much for a single person.

To get enough players involved to put forth a successful effort takes "world class" communication.  I saw a lot of problems from the bottom and the middle. When there was a system to communicate those problems, they were overcome with little extra cost. In other circumstances when I was left alone to my grumblings, those little problems became budget busters!

I never forgot the significance of every player's contribution.  When I was at the top, I listened to everyone. Although, I did weigh input differently based upon level of understanding. I did not confuse the level of understanding with their rank, pay, nor credentials. If you are at the top because you are "in the know", you can utilize great ideas from unlikely sources. That cooperation stems from "world class" communication.

It really helped me to pay my dues at the bottom and the middle.  I was irritated so many times by doing the wrong thing and witnessing folly management. I knew that I could do better!  I so badly wanted a chance to prove it!  For people lacking credentials, there is another road. Albeit, a more difficult, time consuming, and subjective road.

If you string together success long enough and often enough? And if somebody is watching that knows what is going on? And if the wind is blowing in the right direction? You might get a chance to orchestrate a project!

I have had a few of those opportunities while working for the "man".  I have added a few more on my own private farm. I am very proud of the fact that EVERY project that I have directed has been completed UNDER budget.  The single most important reason why is "world class" communication.

People and their input must be valued. Opinions and ideas should be heard early and often.  This requires first hand observations, trusting relationships, face to face interactions, and formal meetings.  The more eyes, ears, and hands on the project, the better.  Concerns must be acknowledged and addressed all the way from the bottom to the top.

That type of cohesive, open and honest teamwork is how I define "world class" communication. Problems are better resolved when they are anticipated or addressed early in the process. With a broader source of input, there are far fewer opportunities for things that "go bump in the night" to bust your budget.