10 Steps to Finishing Projects on Time, Every Time
In January of 1984, a series of unfortunate events caused the team at Apple to fall behind in preparation for the release of the first Mac computer. The team was floundering and slogging, and they really doubted their ability to get it done by the announced date. Then, in response to a request for “a couple more weeks to work on it,” Steve Jobs left the room with a single, profound standard:
“Real artists ship!”
Since then, the statement has grown to be the mantra of all competent creatives and project managers. Today, we’re going to share a simple solution that will help you keep the ball rolling to produce a quality product… on time, and without a hitch.
Project ≠ Hayride
The most popular approach to project management is not unlike a hayride. We hook up the trailer, start up the truck by ourselves, drive by our friends’ houses, and pick up as many people as want to tag along. Soon, there are 30 people on the ride, all whoopin’ and hollerin’ and shouting directions over each other, and it becomes difficult to get everyone on the same page. Then, about the time you pick up your 50th committee member, the truck stalls and starts groaning under the weight. Who can go anywhere like that?
Thrashing
Seth Godin coined a term for the confusion and yelling and shouted ideas and directions that we just saw. He calls it “thrashing,” and while collaborative brainstorming is often essential, it’s not good when it happens late in the game. When thrashing happens, projects stall. In order to get good product out the door on time, you have to do all of your thrashing right up front — this leaves plenty of room for production before your due date.
A Sample Roadmap
In order to ship on time, I suggest implementing your own flavor of the following 10-step plan. This not only helps everyone to feel (and be) involved, but it limits thrashing to the front end — where the final product can be guided by it, but is protected from its stalling power.
- Projects should have one project manager. This person isn’t just a delegator or a mediator — You need to take ownership and get excited. You needs to make hands-on, final decisions. You need to make this project a passion.
- Write down the due date. Put it on paper, and write “READY OR NOT!” underneath the date. Stick this on the wall. You’re shipping whatever you have done on this date, without a question.
- Get a bunch of index cards or post-it notes. Write down every plan, idea, sketch, contact, and whim. Go fishing for ideas. Get as much help as you want. Invite as many people as you’d like to include, and write down everything they can think of.
- Thrash. Dream. And write everything down.
- Collaborate. Collect the cards, and read them aloud to the whole team. This will inevitably lead to more cards.
- Enter the cards into a collaborative database… Project management software, Evernote, or even a dedicated notebook. Let the collaborative team have their final chance to give input. Pass it around. Let the team annotate.
- One project manager (you) goes through and builds a complete description of the project. For example, if your project is a book, then you’re writing an outline. This is your proposal, your blueprint, and it’s now top-secret.
- At this time, you take the blueprint to the final decision makers (the CEO, the VP… the one with the title and the money). Along with this blueprint, you offer three choices: Approve it, cancel it, or suggest a few compromises.
- After their decision, say, “If I deliver what you approved, on budget and on time, will you ship it?” DO NOT start work until you get a yes. ”Well, I’ll know it when I see it” is a good way to throw away resources, and shipping a good product is the only thing that matters. If we’re not shipping it to this spec, it’s pointless to create to this spec.
- Once you get your yes, go away and build the project by the (possibly modified by the boss) blueprint. Do not include people who are unessential to production, and do not modify the plan. It’s too late for that. Since shipping is inevitable, you need to do what it takes to prevent shipping a product that’s stalled or incomplete.
By beginning with everyone’s inclusion up front and proceeding with a strong commitment to the ship date, it becomes natural and easy to shut out unnecessary changes as your project comes to a close. This process has been extremely valuable to me throughout my career, and I’m certain it can help you as well.