Move Fluidly - Project World Collectable Card #10

 

From all the 16 cards about working in projects, number 10 holds the most profound insight I have. It will also explain why the cards are designed the way they are.

Move Fluidly - Adapting To Changes

Things will never entirely go as you expect. Roads are closed. You may find yourself surrounded by swamp land. You have to adapt.

Performing resilient projects is like yoga. You move fluidly from one position to another. Today’s project structure might be totally different from tomorrows.

You can change the project organizational structure. Sometimes layering is needed for protection, making sure that deficiencies or not spread all over the place. Sometimes layering is just adding handicaps, like limiting the flow of information and trust.

You can move towards a Burn-Down Chart instead of Gantt when that makes more sense. And move back again when required.

You can adapt to changes in the environment by moving from plan A to plan B. And that includes your strategy and structures.

If one thing doesn’t work, you switch to another approach. Fluidly.

Although you can twist your body in amazing positions with some practice, there are limits. Your joints make sure your body sticks together. Remains in one piece.

Ah. Yes. Analogy!

These are the essential conversations. Discussions that you must have in your project, to keep the ragtag crew, the stakeholders and all involved together. Making sure that it doesn’t break down while you move from plan A to plan B.

You can be all over the place if you want, but you need to be in the same area about certain topics. What does done look like? How do we get there? How do we know how far we are? Stuff like that.

These conversations are the joints that keep your project together and linked to its environment.

You see how the cards will help you with this?

Location of this card on the overall map:

Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.