Even in Project-Based Work, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

 

There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run.  Tired of hearing him boast, Slow and Steady, the tortoise, challenged him to a race.  All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.

Hare ran down the road for a while and then paused to rest.  He looked back at Slow and Steady and cried out, "How do you expect to win this race when you are walking along at your slow, slow pace?"

Hare stretched himself out alongside the road and fell asleep, thinking, "There is plenty of time to relax."

Slow and Steady walked and walked.  He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.

The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise, they woke up Hare.

Hare stretched and yawned and began to run again, but it was too late.  Tortoise was over the line.

After that, Hare always reminded himself, "Don't brag about your lightening pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!"

It's natural for highly driven business leaders, motivated to succeed, to be unfailingly optimistic about their organizations ability to sprint forward on every initiative (I actually believe this level of confidence in the project team can be a good thing).  Unfortunately, always pushing project teams to rush out the gate like the Hare can sometimes be detrimental to project success.  Over the course of my career, I've noticed that a methodical, steady, and constant pace consistently produces successful results—leaving those who dash about like the Hare in the dust.

In my mind's eye, I don't see the Tortoise as plodding and unimaginative—which could be an argument against him (by those who don't understand him).  What I see is the Hare, unarguably quick out the gate, but unable to finish.

What can organizations do to avoid losing the race?  Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Keep projects focused on attainable objectives
2. Allow time for organization and planning
3. Avoid, when possible, the random "emergency" projects that are typically the result of poor planning or knee-jerk reactions to changing circumstances
4. Empower the project team with a means to contribute to establishing their own milestones and benchmark time-lines
5. Utilize project and portfolio management tools to contribute to work management success

Are your project teams more like the Tortoise or the Hare?  Just remember that you can't brag about your lightening pace if Slow and Steady wins the race.