I was teaching a class on Project Management recently, and a participant asked me if at the beginning of a project they would have to know all the steps for the entirety of the project.
To plan for all eventualities.
Know all the details.
My answer was an emphatic "NO"!
Many new project managers make this mistake.
They try to plan for everything.
They try to get perfect information.
They try to know all the steps, and have all the answers, before the question is even asked.
Heck, it's as human as our cerebral cortex.
This uncertainty however is uncomfortable. In a primordial world, it was dangerous. If you didn't know what lurked in the forest, or in a cave, you might get eaten.
That's why as humans we get anxious with uncertainty. That pit in your stomach when you start something new. Something you don't know everything about. Change.
It's this instinct that kept early humanity alive. Kept early humans from being eaten by much larger predators.
It's also the worst instinct for Project Management.
The future is inherently uncertain
Projects are Change.
If you wanted to keep everything the same, that's not a project. That's operations. And that's not why you are reading this.
Projects exist in the future, and they are intended to create something that does not exist yet.
Something that is unique in some way, shape, or form.
Something that, in this unique way, has never been done before.
And you can't know every step of the way. Because you can't look it up. Because it hasn't been done before.
That's scary. That's like a dark forest for our ancient ancestors. Who knows what's in there? Who knows what could hurt me?
The problem with this safety mechanism?
Perfect information only exists in hindsight.
You'll only know what was in that forest, after you've walked through it.
And if you never take that first step into that forest, you'll never know.
And you'll never start any project.
One step after the other
The beautiful thing is, to take that first step, you don't have to know what's on the other side of that forest.
You don't even have to know how big it is, or how long it will take you to get through it.
All you need to know is your general direction.
And all you need to see is the next step.
And then the next.
And then the next.
If you try to plan for something on the other side of the forest, you will fail. Because you don't know what's there. You don't know how long it will take you to get there. You don't know what you'll find when you get there.
It's human nature to try to get to this perfect information before starting anything. Or making a decision.
But if you try for perfect, you'll succeed at nothing.
So get comfortable with uncertainty.
Or burn the forest (your Project Management Career).
Your weekly actionable Tip:
Pick a decision you have been putting off, in your personal or professional life, doesn't matter. It has to be a change, and something you have been dreading to decide, whether it's moving to a new place, changing careers, etc.
Imagine making that decision right now. Without more information. Without any more planning or research.
Simply decide. Yes or no. Do it, or not.
Now analyze how you feel. Feel that pit in your stomach? The tingly feeling of uncertainty.
Now lock that feeling into your mind. Get familiar with it. Get to know it. And decide to feel that you made the right decision. And reward yourself for it. Eat something you love. Play your favourite song. This is called projecting.
The next time you feel this uncertainty, your brain will associate that feeling with a right decision, and your body will start to counteract the tingly uncertain feeling, with the high of a good decision and something nice happening.
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Whenever you are ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
- The Essential Project Management Template Pack: Pick up the 8 essential templates that every Project Manager needs to control schedule, cost and scope, lead any meeting and stay organized throughout any project.
- Book a 1:1 Call: Schedule a call with me where we will go through your Project Management Career Aspirations. We'll talk through where you currently are, where you want to go, and develop an actionable roadmap to get you there, complete with tips, strategies and shortcuts that will let you become a Highly Effective Project Manager.
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