How to avoid the dreaded question: Uh, why are we doing this project?
We all know that there a lot of things that contribute to project success, but one of the key, and often times overlooked elements for success is project team understanding of company goals and strategies.
Think about this, have you ever been working on a project and someone says, “Uh, why are we even doing this project?” Without a solid understanding of company goals and strategies, and how your project fits into the BIG picture; motivation, commitment, and project success can all be affected.
If a project team member doesn’t know what the company goals and strategies are for goal attainment, they might not recognize the value of the project and their motivation to devote the requisite time and energies behind the project priority may be less than optimal. If they don’t understand the project, and what they are doing supports company goals, they won’t see the big picture, and the organizational benefits.
How committed to anything are you when you don’t know why you are doing something? I’d hazard to say your commitment might be pretty low. But, if I take the time to explain to you the company goals, and strategies to attain the goals, the project, and how it, and what you are doing supports those goals, and the benefits to the organization overall, I’d believe that your level of commitment will be much higher as you see the big picture and the associated value and benefits.
What happens when team members don’t understand company goals and strategies and motivation and commitment to the project is low? The project doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. The project was selected for a reason, and unless all of our team members know and understand the BIG picture, we run the risk of project failure. It is for these reasons, and others, it is extremely important to ensure your team understands why they are doing what they are doing, and helps prevent them from asking, “Why are we even doing this project anyway?”
How does seeing the BIG picture help your project success? Feel free to leave a comment below or shout out to us on Facebook or Twitter. Of course, you could always write your own blog post on the subject and share it with us… We’d love to read it!
