Way back in the 1970s there was a song called “One Day at a Time”.
It was covered by countless singers. In Ireland, the most notable was a singer known simply as Gloria.
It’s a song that resonates with many people directly or indirectly dealing with addiction. And is considered by many as a way of coping. As a way of living.
Years later, when I was studying project management, I heard the phrase again – “One Day at a Time”. But, this time, the context was very different. It was given as an answer to a question:
“How do projects get late?”
In your business you have at least one project on the go at any time – whether or not you actually use the word “project”. It’s something you want to accomplish – whether for a client or for your business. It’s some sort of endeavour that is temporary and is intended to create something.
This makes you a project manager – even if that’s a label you don’t use.
And that “manager” word is important. Projects need management. You need to delicately balance time, cost, scope & quality. If you deliver the defined result on time, within budget and to the requisite quality level then your project is technically a success. (On a more human level you also need the “thing” to be useful and for the people putting up the money to be happy.)
One common way projects fail is by being late.
And that happens, one day at a time.
Individual days matter.
Might this be a good time to go assess your projects’ schedules? And, if they don’t have schedules, might this be a good time to define schedules?
Adopting a project mindset can be very powerful because it requires you to identify them, consider the appropriate number of them to have on the go at any time, their relative importance, their risks, etc.
Go get ’em!
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