“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.” Project management is fairly forgiving. No one likes to fail, but the more unknowns the more likely you are to not understand and not estimate the project deliverables correctly. The Agile methodology is made for this type of iterative work, where you are encouraged to “fail fast”. You gain a little more knowledge with each sprint and improve upon the overall project with each deliverable. I think a better way to put it is to fail fast but fail forward. Learn from your mistakes and success will come more readily.

I have a hardcopy of this book where I have highlighted the main points that have really jived with my own experience of performing Project Management in unorthodox, informal, “unofficial”, environments and/or capacities. This book is about how to get things done and done as well as possible in those circumstances…

Here is my takeaway #6 from one of the most useful practical books in my field, “Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager”:

6) “If you’ve failed, if you haven’t been happy with the process, or if you feel like your projects work but could be better, you might think you just need to “try harder.” But your problems aren’t due to a lack of trying. Without the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, you can’t achieve real project success.”

Note: This quote comes from Chapter 1 “The New World of ‘Unofficial’ Project Management” (page 7)

And I would add, without proper organizational, managerial, and/or staff support you will not reach your project’s potential.

Story time: I had an employer whose answer to every project obstacle was for me to work harder and/or faster. No matter how many unforeseen obstacles encountered there was no help coming. I was expected to do the project management work and the project work. In fact, if anyone helped me, they felt like they were doing my job because anything database related was considered my job.

Until we finally had the right mindset, skillset, and tools for the subject experts, the project management, and the Sponsor and Organization itself, to work as a team with concurrent duties we were getting nowhere fast. In fact, the finish line was outpacing us (worst Scope Creep I have ever experienced). Once we realized that it takes a team working together with the right mindset, skillset, tools to overcome the inevitable unexpected challenges to a given project, then we devoted the necessary attention and support to the project team to achieve success and we got to where we wanted to be.

The pace of business has reached a fever pitch. The corporate world has always been cut-throat, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it would be better off if we worked for each other instead of competing with one another. Workers are pitted against each other, expected to step on one another up the corporate ladder, and if you don’t stand out or can’t take it, before long, you are out of a job. Here’s how it can be different!

Organizations and individuals who get on the same page and work as a team to accomplish projects that move the business forward together can succeed together again and again, much more than those who do not. It starts with gaining knowledge about the field of project management and learning how to apply it in a practical way to our positions and then at the team and organizational levels.

All three areas must be working in tandem, or you will find yourself spinning your wheels, going in 100 different directions, and/or running faster than you are able to keep up. It might not catch up with you on every project (especially small ones), but I guarantee every project will not be a success until the whole system, form, and function exercises sound principles of professional project management in sync with one another “like a well-oiled machine.”

Project Management takes a mindset to always improve so even when a project goes well your brain can’t help but think what could be better. You’re constantly sharpening your mind, skills, and tools for the next go around. And you are constantly thinking how you can help others in your organization to work on project teams in a way that gives your work a compounding effect rather than the opposite effect.