Don’t underestimate how hard project work is
If you are new to delivering a project and feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone.
The research supports this:
- The Association for Project Management (APM) found that 72% of full-time project professionals said their main project had negatively affected their mental wellbeing.
- The Project Management Institute (PMI) has also reported that poor project performance wastes a meaningful share of investment, and that strong executive sponsorship is one of the biggest drivers of success.
- One Study of 16,000 respondents on Linkedin (for LinkedIn) identified Project Management as the most stressful role (if you can believe that).
Either way, I can tell you this, delivering projects isn’t for everyone. It can be tough. But when you get it right, delivering a big idea, change or goal with projects can be a lot of fun, and very rewarding.
Key Message
The key message is this, I and most experienced people will tell you:
This is the key bit: hold upfront discussions early to set expectations that the project will not go to plan, and that you will need the people, time and your bosses support (more than they think).
If these conversations don’t go well, this should be a major red flag for you. If so, be ready to walk away.
Try this
If you are at the start of a project right now…
- Write down the support, time, and decisions you think it will need.
- Then talk it through with the person asking you to deliver.
That one conversation can save a lot of pain later.
Further reading
- APM, mental wellbeing of the project profession
- PMI, Pulse of the Profession
- PMI, low-authority environments and emotional intelligence
Greg
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