Did you ever work on a project that was so intense that you didn’t ask?why? Why are we doing this? Why is this important? Why do people work 80 hours a week? Without knowing why, you complete task after task after job. You don’t think about the bigger picture strategy that could justifiably justify your madness!
Kitty’s night vision goggles, by h?lf empty via flickr
This is not a common situation. You are losing sight of the big picture and your vision is blurred as you struggle to find a sense of purpose for your project. In short, you are working on a project without a visible Mission/Vision/Strategy (MVS) Statement.? The MVS was not communicated to you or your team. The MVS is the key to the project vision. The MVS communicates the big picture.
Communication is what we do every day with one another using many different methods. Dictionary.Com (1) states that communication is the sharing or exchanging of thoughts, opinions, information, and ideas by speech, writing, signs, or written means. PMBOK, 4thedition states that communication is the management and dissemination of project information. (2).
Communication is the act of transferring information from one person to another. A Business Owner (sender), communicates a new idea for a website to a Project Manager, (receiver) using the PMBOK Basic Communication Model (3). The information is received by the Project Manager who then translates it back to Business Owner. This is a process of communicating that has been around since the beginning of time. Why do projects fail when we are truly communicating? Are communication problems caused by poor communication? Many project managers will tell you that the timelines were too tight, that there wasn’t enough money, or that clients submitted additional requests. Communication is the foundation of everything we say, do, learn, see, and hear. We communicate:
—–>requirements—->designs—->plans
<------results----- status-----issues----->
We have forms, templates, and processes for each of these topics.
Did you notice that the above list doesn’t include a vision, mission, or strategy statement? Is the MVS part of an organization’s Organizational Process Assets? The MVS should be included in every OPA. MVS statements are sent to clients, employees, and the general public by organizations. They may be advertised on TV, in a newspaper ad or on a nice gravestone at Company headquarters. Some are easy to remember and have a catchy phrase, while others don’t grab their attention. attention.? Every project should have a MVS Statement. The MVS statement gives focus to the project team. A MVS statement is crucial to the success and safety of a project.
The entire process of developing a MVS statement, communicating it, and ensuring that it is accepted by the project team should be documented. The MVS should be the foundation of everything that happens in a project. The following should be implemented by project teams to support the MVS.
>———> Reminders of the MVS ?<-------------> are frequent. A dedicated website ————> is also available.
>———>?associating all work to the MVS?<------------ >? visible display of MVS ——
To maintain MVS focus and answer the?why? questions, a formal communication process ensures that the MVS is communicated to all project stakeholders. questions.? Regular reminders keep MVS fresh and relevant to project stakeholders. A dedicated website promotes visibility and supports the importance of MVS. All work should be linked to the MVS so that everyone understands why they do it and what the end result is. This helps stakeholders believe and embrace the MVS.
A MVS will keep the proj