Work Management and Keeping the Right Perspective

 

Managing project-based work requires a particularly strong attention to detail.  I believe the ability to identify and coordinate the dozens, if not hundreds, of individual details associated with tasks, issues, and projects is a strength that most of us probably wish we had more of.  That being said, I think it's easy for those required to spend the lion's share of their time in the minutia of things, to sometimes loose sight of the big picture.

For example, a painter I know once told me that he routinely needs to step back and look at his paintings from a distance in order to keep the right perspective.  He said it is sometimes easy for an artist to become so focused on the tiny details that they forget the rest of the painting.  To avoid doing that, he makes himself step back, walk around the easel, and look at the painting every few minutes.

Regardless of how detailed your work management plans are, it's important to step back every once in a while and look at the big picture.  Here are a couple of suggestions that might help you do that:

1. Keep the business goals and objectives of the project front and center — Post on the team white board, or someplace where the team will regularly see it, the business goal associated with the project.  I know one PMO that has created templates in their PPM software with the goal embedded on every task, issue, and project page to remind the team why they are doing the project.  This keeps everyone focused on the big picture, while working on the details.
2. As needed, meet with the project team to make sure everyone is still focused on the goal — We may not like it, but there will always be the "drive-by" or "ad hoc" initiatives that come up to pull team members away from focusing on the project goal.  Meeting with the team on a regular basis allows managers to help resolve impediments and keep the team focused.  Often, the regular reminder of the project objective is all it takes to keep everyone on target.
3. Step back and look at the big picture — Project management software can help automate the management of many of the details associated with a project, so managers have time to step back and see the big picture.  It's important to look at project progress from a broader perspective.  Make sure your project software helps free you from the minutia and doesn't force you to keep your head down, buried in the weeds that keeps you from seeing the forest for the trees.

What do you do to keep your project teams focused on the big picture?  Does your project management software help or hinder?