Five Ways to Turn Small Projects into Professional Success

Five Ways to Turn Small Projects into

Professional Success
By Kevin Eikenberry

I know that there have been people with the title of project
manager for many years, and there has been a growing body of
knowledge, skills, tools and techniques in the area of project
management for a long time. Yes, there have always been
projects. But never before has it been so important for every
person to be able to lead, manage or participate in projects of all
sizes.

The quality movement of the 80's and 90's taught people

everywhere that work is a process - that we can look at our work in this way to make
improvements, large and small. The improvement came in part because it got people to think
about their work in new ways.

Work is still a process, but many jobs have less of a process focus than they once did.
Technology has driven some of this change - many steps that used to be manual and labour
intensive are now handled by computers and their related tools. But expectations and needs have
changed too. With technology and ever streamlined processes, organisations have looked to
people at all levels in the organisation to do more than manage or work in a process, they expect
people to do project work too.

Once you recognise that your job expectations, regardless of your job title, include initiating,
leading and completing projects your focus changes. Now you have to develop or use some
different skills and behaviours than were required in the daily ritual. Now you have to think
differently and act differently, because the world has changed.

While my advice applies to the big company-wide initiatives - there are many resources to help
you with that in-depth knowledge. My focus is on the small improvement project; planning the
next company meeting, the redistribution of customers among sales people, and a thousand more
- the smaller pieces of work that are projects, even if we haven't thought of them in that way.

Here are five things you can do starting today to excel with these small team or personal projects.

1. The assignment is just the start. Projects may come to you dressed as tasks or
assignments. Stop. Don't just take the assignment. If you want to make a difference you
have to listen to the assignment, and then start creating the project. Ask questions to
further understand the situation. Investigate the big picture. Find out what the root cause of
the request really is. Often leaders (and all of us) have a problem, come up with a solution
then get someone to implement the task we identified - and too often that solution is only a
band-aid, or won't solve the problem at all. The first way to excel in project work is to
refine and redefine the project until it is something that really matters and can have real
impact.

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 Five Ways to Turn Small Projects into Professional Success

2. Fall in love (with your project). As you are re-crafting and re-tooling your project you
should be creating something that you can be passionate about. This won't be hard if you
have truly turned it into something that matters.
3. Sell your new project. Once you have done #1, you've changed the project forever. This
isn't about getting people to "buy-in" to your new scope and vision of the project, though
you certainly need that. This is about getting people to get it - to see how this project can
have real value. To help them see that the annual meeting can be more than the same old
event, with a tweaked agenda, but that it can be a catalyst for organisational change. In
short, your task here is to get people to love the project the way you do. (Hint, if you
haven't done #2, this is going to be hard!) This will not only get you the official resources
you need but will lead to all sorts of other help coming your way. People want to work on
juicy stuff - and your project will have the juice.
4. Chunk the plan. I said chunk, not chuck! You need a plan for your project. But too often
the plan is too big and too rigid. Take your plan and turn it into smaller tasks. Use the plan
like a road-map. When I open my atlas it has views of the whole country, an individual
state and of some cities. Your plan should expand and contract like that too. Don't forget
to build the city maps - because in your projects that is where the real work gets done - one
well designed task at a time.
5. Finish strong. Too many projects don't quite finish. They had a good plan. They got most
of the way there, but the bow never got put on the present. You have a project that you
love, so you will always finish strong, right? You will have sold the project and its
possibilities so people will be anxious to move you on to the next big thing. Resist this
temptation until you finish strong. Make sure the project delivers on as much of your
initial vision as it possibly can. Then celebrate your success!
6. Put in the effort. Any project that you love is going to require a lot of effort. If you love
it, it might not always feel like work - but it will still take lots of energy, focus, and sweat.
If you want the project to make a difference, be willing to invest in it.

Applying the lessons in these five areas (plus the all-important #6) and continuing to strengthen
these skills are one of the best ways to develop your value both to your current organisation and
in the marketplace. Organisations need people who can get their hands around work and turn it
into great results. Starting today, that is you.

Kevin Eikenberry is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group

(www.kevineikenberry.com ), a learning consulting company that helps clients reach their
potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free
special report on "Unleashing Your Potential" go to www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp
or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

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