Practically Project Management

Everyone loves shiny objects. We're hard-wired from a very early age to be lured by the attraction of new things. Look no further than the "unboxing videos" phenomenon and you'll realize the truth of this. Even I confess that I REALLY enjoy getting my hands on new technology, opening it up, and testing it out.

Here's the issue. Shiny objects can be a costly distraction.  Especially for project management organizations. They often take the form of new technology, business models, management methods, or a consulting pitch packed with the latest buzz words. While sometimes these can be very good things -- there is a potential downside.

Case in point. I was working with a business leader who wanted to sponsor a project to automate an important business process. He explained that he had already hired a programmer to use artificial intelligence to improve the process. When I asked him why, he responded "Because artificial intelligence is what other leading companies use." After some discussion about the problem, we determined that artificial intelligence was overkill. The process could be automated using much simpler and less expensive methods.

And that's the trap. Shiny objects can get us laser focused on a solution before we've adequately explored the problem. This situation is prevalent in many different parts of society. Even Albert Einstein was quoted as stating:

" If I only had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem itself, and 5 minutes thinking about solutions."

Now some might argue Einstein was wrong about a lot of things, including the cosmological constant, so he could be wrong about the amount of time to focus on problem definition. Fair point. But based on my experience I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

The next time you feel the attraction of a shiny object I suggest channeling your inner Einstein and really take time to explore the problem.

An easy technique is the "how might we...?" problem statement. To see how it works let's revisit the case of the business leader who hired an AI programmer to improve a business process. Instead of jumping to an immediate solution, we would begin by defining the problem. It could go something like "How might we... reduce the time our team spends on process XYZ by 50%, while decreasing defects by at least 25%, with an investment of $15,000 or less?"

Notice that in one problem statement we:

1. Defined the desired outcome
2. Established specific metrics to determine success
3. Included constraints.

This simple technique sets you up to creatively explore multiple different types of solutions.  That way you don't get locked into focusing on just one thing.  There's a lot of practical ways to do this which are outlined in more detail within the Design Thinking methodology developed by IDEO and Stanford University.

Although problem definition is a great tool to use, just keep in mind there are two sides any equation. We shouldn't forget that shiny objects have the power to help us envision new possibilities or understand problems in a way we never considered. They contribute to the zeitgeist that fuels innovation and progress. Thus, don't avoid shiny objects. Just take a balanced approach and avoid getting lured by the attraction of one particular solution.