Getting into a new project is always like falling down a new rabbit hole: It is a new world full of wonders, following weird and unexplained rules. The good thing is that although they are not written down for you most people are willing to tell you what is deemed important and, more importantly, what is not down this new rabbit hole. You just have to ask around, following the idea of exploring the rules of a new board game (a non-zero-sum game of course) and asking the question “How do I win here?”. A common mistake is assuming that the rules of the last rabbit hole apply to the new one as well.
In the best case scenario you will get a precise and straight forward answer. If you do not get a clear answer to the question of how you can win the game the reason oftentimes is missing context. In that case it is a good idea to take a step back and identify that context together with your manager or sponsor. The winner question here is: What is our/my mission? If this question can be answered it is relatively easy to derive the requirements for winning but in a lot of cases you will not get a satisficing anwer.
If your manager can not exactly pinpoint your mission (and your specific tasks) develop it together. In order to know how to win a board game all players must know the mode of the game. If there is no manual (in form of a mission statement) available create it by asking your manager or sponsor the following questions (in that specific order):
Why are we here? (What is the cause for the project and where do we want to be at the end of the project?)
How do we want to do it? (Which processes and methods are we going to use?)
What do we need to do/create? (What are our deliverables and what are my specific tasks in creating them?)
Yes, you are right: This is the concept of the golden circle by Simon Sinek - and it is great.
If you have answered the above questions you have all the input needed for a proper project mission statement from which you should be able to derive the answer to the question “How do i win here?”. On a daily basis or in task specific cases you can break it down even further and ask “What is the priority of management in this situation?”
Write down your mission statement and embrace the answer to the question of how to win. I actually always write down my mission on a big piece of paper and hang it up in the office so i look at it every day. This not only helps you understand your role in the game but will keep you productive instead of just busy.
Sometimes it is as simple as asking a question. You would be surprised at how many people just start working on something without understanding the overall mission of a project and without knowing how to win. The simple but effective tool of asking the winner questions does not only apply to your projects but also to your job in general.
Комментарии