Your Next Project Must Begin With a Vision Setting Exercise
Your Next Project Must Begin With a Vision Setting Exercise

Emotions Rally the Team Towards Success

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Sports are a snow globe scene describing everyday life in miniature. College football and basketball are an exciting example of assembling and assimilating new players into the team ecosystem. The marque, familiar ball clubs continue to produce exceptional teams season after season. Smaller schools are equally successful, but without the splashy headlines. How do coaches build a momentum of success? Simple — it starts with creating a shared vision of success. Sure every team desires to raise the conference trophy under a rain of confetti. But selling the vision is not flashing a “Champion” PowerPoint slide — it is about helping the individual see themselves as part of the picture. Each player — rookie or veteran — has to make the mental journey — growing from the athlete they are today to the athlete of their aspirations. The coach must help each player recognize working together to achieve the team vision delivers on the promise of realizing individual ambitions.

Vision is an aspirational message that touches on emotions leading us to take action

How do vision and coaching translate to my job as a project manager? I am a corporate, professional project leader!

Welcome to the project kick-off meeting. Colleagues representing various stakeholders and departments are assembled before you are — each with their interests. Individually they wish to optimize value for their departments and their career. Your immediate challenge is channeling the team’s passions, skills, and strengths towards successfully delivering the project’s benefits.

The Coach’s Playbook

Take a page from the coach’s playbook. Don’t begin the kick-off meeting discussing timelines, tasks, or software. Yes, these topics are vital to executing the project plan. All projects are built upon similar activities. At the task level, there isn’t anything to distinguish your project from any other. Instead, start with a vision — the project delivers something — a solution or product that your organization deems valuable. Talk about how customers will crave the new widget; talk about finance removing the drudgery of budgeting; talk about the picture of success. And don’t sell the vision. State the facts. The stakeholders will see that they will achieve their ambitions, department, and company goals by successfully delivering the project. You have connected with the team on an emotional level. It is human nature to gravitate towards success. Now you can roll up your sleeves and talk details.

Emotions build deep connections between people

One more point. Your obligation as a project leader is to deliver a successful project. Your responsibility as an employee (colleague or leader) is to help co-workers succeed and reach their potential. Energize the project team, including yourself. See and achieve a shared vision.
['Marc Hadd']
['Life Lessons', 'Technology', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Project Management', 'Leadership']