Message 11 Project work
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This document defines project work as a professional work style where almost any problem, task, event, agreement or cooperation can be approached as a project. It describes projects as having defined objectives, timelines and resources. The document recommends using simple tools like a to-do form to help define decisions as projects by specifying aims, methods, timelines, responsibilities and completion checks. This approach helps with planning, organization, evaluation and continuous improvement, building reliability and responsibility.
Message 11 Project work
- 1. Message 11Project work as a work style Project work as we define it here is not just working in projects. For working in projects, all other Messages and all Tools may be of some help; and we have provided six specific tools for viable projects in the C section of the Tools Chapter. Cf. Chapter on Tools, section C What we are aiming at here is to define project work as a profes- sional work style, as the way of thinking and tackling almost all as- pects of work as projects. Every problem, every task, every event, every agreement taken or promise made, every purposeful co- operation within or across organisational boundaries can be defined as a project. Cf. Tool C1: SMART – five basic rules of planning a feasible project Cf. Tool A1: To-do form As we said presenting the SMART tool, projects are the pursuit of defined objectives in a defined time span with defined resources. These co-ordinates of project work (see graph) are applicable to almost every activity. Several of the simplest tools in this book are conceived to make this way of thinking easier. The most important one is Tool A1: To-do form. This basic tool helps defining all decisions as projects, asking for • the what, i.e. in this case the aim or aims pursued with the decision, • the how, demanding the identification of the way how it is to be done and the resources needed or available, and • the when, i.e. the time available or needed for achieving the defined aims. • If you take such decisions not only for yourself but together with others, the tool also asks you for the who will do it or be responsible for having it done or organising it. • Finally, the to-do form asks you to check whether the activities agreed have been completed. Thus, the tool not only supports you in planning and organising your own and your community’s work in a practical manner, applied in the way described here it also fulfils an ongoing evaluation function 13.11.2008, 15:48:34
- 2. 2/2 following the classical control cycle of planning, doing, checking and new planning or doing better (see Message 12). The aim of evaluation is goal attainment and improvement as well as learning about how it was done successfully or how to do things better the next time. Learning in and for work is the hidden agenda of such a project work style which has to be made a normal and visible part of everyday work. Cf. Message 12: The nature of qual- ity: continuous im- provement, con- tinuous learning Said in other words, working in this way makes it easier to build up a capacity and characteristic which is key to co-operation in and across organisations, it builds reliability or, as we have called it in Message 6, responsibility. Say what you are going to do and do what you said you would do. The consistency of words and actions is a fundamental condition of organisational quality. Of course, it is always welcomed when you do better than you promised. But promising more than what is possible to keep will label you soon as unreliable, deteriorate the common achievements and finally exclude you from co-operation or bring the co-operation to an end, at last. Say what you do. Do what you say.