Coming Together
I recently moved. In the process, a few new items were needed as the old items were too big for the new space. As was the case with my office space. In looking for the right fit, we found something at IKEA. I liked it and it was the right size. We promptly purchased the desk and file storage unit and returned home eager to see it all come together.
“Coming together” turned out to be pivotal. Have you ever put IKEA furniture together? Well, I had before, but never something this complex with drawers that pull in and out and hinges that open and shut. Needless to say, it was quite a project. But, it reminded me of important principles when working on projects anywhere – home or work.
The End Goal: In any project, it is critical that individuals know what the expected result or needed outcome is. When working on the project, many decisions will be made along the way. If the end goal is not understood, costly and time consuming mistakes may be made. With my desk, we were able to see the final project finished before we started providing us with clear direction.
Clear Instructions: When opening our packages from IKEA, we discovered hundreds of pieces including the units frames, all the hardware and the tools to put it all together. Fortunately, amidst all of the pieces, an instruction booklet was also included. The instructions outlined all of the resources we would need to complete the project, step-by-step instructions and pictures showing us how to do it all along the way. In any successful project, it is important to make sure instructions are clear and individuals and teams have a good understanding of how they are to proceed and what they have to work with.
Tools & Resources: No project can be successful, without the right tools and resources. I could not have put my desk together without the provided Allen wrench or if any of the pieces had been missing. Even with an Allen wrench, if it was not the exact size needed, it would have been ineffective. With any project, make sure to provide the rights tools and resources. Often those resources are people. Be sure to assign the right fit and don’t leave out any needed pieces.
Executive Sponsorship: Many projects fail because they do not have leadership backing it up. This is key. All projects need time, money and resources to be successful. If there is a conflict preventing you from getting the necessary support, leadership can step in with their influence and allocate what is needed to be successful. I can assure you, if both of the executives of our household (me and my husband) had not equally signed up for this project, it would have been doomed.
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