....the project will come back again only with a different name.
Apart from wrinkles and Gout, plus a garage full of useless stuff, as one gets older one also gets wisdom. All things being equal of course. Wisdom is gained through experience. And experience is nothing more than the realisation that we all make exactly the same mistakes all of the time.
The advantage of youth of
course is precisely that you are unconstrained by annoying wisdom. The world is your oyster, just waiting for you to arrive and make a mess of things. That’s why the “Organisational Change Project” was born.
When you first arrive in your Leadership position you are acutely aware of the incontrovertible law of corporations; “the first 100 days”. Yep. You have got to make your mark. Fast. Like a dog on a walk. You absolutely must pee everywhere to signal its now your territory and woe betide anyone else trying to muscle in on your patch. If you have the ability to fire people then that’s a good start. The hierarchy love that. Its a sure sign of strength and has the added benefit of installing your minions with a fear of your almighty power. But that alone won't cut it. Not with those old men - and they are invariably men - white men - old men - right at the top of the tree. You need something else to impress. Welcome to the “Organisational Change Project”.
The name of the “Project” should of course be catchy if possible and it should always always be ultimately about efficiency, or revenue or both. After all, the only thing that matters to old men is profits….or……anything that you as a leader are targeted with…..which of course means profits. Now here comes the skill. For the unwary its a real pitfall…I know….I have done it myself. Never ever name your project the same as a previous one that people will remember. Lets all be honest, Jaws II was never as good as Jaws and both of them were rubbish. And its exactly the same with projects. None of them make the slightest difference except to hinder the business, slow it down, make everyone totally frustrated and ultimately depressed. Once you have done that your work is done….until a month or two later when you realise that to keep the hierarchy believing in you and that you are achieving impact you will need another change project. With a new snappy name of course.
It actually matters little if the project is Lean, Six Sigma, Time and Motion, Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Critical Path, Kanpan or even a mixture, like “Lean Six Sigma”. Genius that one. Top marks. All you need to remember is that the project is your own, supported by whatever tools you choose (or rather your project manager chooses - you will be the sponsor - for good reason - you don't under any circumstances want to take any responsibility). Just think of a snappy name. Get a few consultants in to add weight and “independence”. Consultants are brilliant at asking your employees for their ideas, which they are only too willing to provide, and which are then repackaged as “independent thought” with anything that doesn't agree with your bias removed to ensure prompt payment of very very large consultants bill. I know. I have seen consultants cut and paste my own report - word for word. With the “difficult bits” removed.
You see my point is this. There is no such thing as a new project. They really are all the same. Just a different title. Perhaps a slightly different emphasis. But the outcome and the way you get there is always, and I mean ALWAYS, the same. Trust me. I have the experience. And I know that if you keep your notes you will know exactly what to do, when to do it, and indeed what the result will be. Just cut and paste from an identical previous project - there will be one I promise. Remember to update the terminology to the latest fad. You see when the project calls for centralisation as the answer to all corporate ills you can absolutely guarantee that this will become a total disaster, ready for the next leader to come in and start a new project which will lead
to decentralisation. And when that fails there will be the next leader, another round of redundancies and a new project. You can kind of see where this is going. Of course, even though most change projects fail [https://hbr.org/1995/05/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail-2] I have not actually come across any that have failed officially. In worst case the targets are re written, the numbers manipulated, and if all else fails you can be sure that something else will turn up to muddy the waters (like Covid 19 for example).
So, seriously, my advice to you young whippersnappers is: never throw your notes away. There is no such thing as a new project. its the same as one before, just with a new name and different terminology. Build a portfolio of notes of three projects - you get at least one a year depending on the current fad and it will set you up for life. Extract the right project file from your database. It will save you so much time. Your knowledge will impress. As a consequence of your remarkable wisdom gained at such an impossibly young age, you too will then become one of those new leaders. Just remember one thing please; be kind to those you meet on the way up. You will meet them again on the way down. With or without notes.
Top Tip: Don't loose heart. Give your best. Nobody wants a misery or a nay sayer on their team. Only fight the battles you can win - as a member of the project team you cant win this one. Above all don't argue with management or cast your doubts. They will be looking for someone to blame by the end! Work hard and do your utmost. But keep a sense of proportion. To quote the wise words of a well respected CEO when he reached his retirement; 'nobody got to the end of their career and wished they had spent more time in the office'.
This is not about the project. Its about you. Your education. Learn the tools. Watch, learn and note the the pitfalls. Keep good notes. And when finally you get into your own leadership role you can make the changes you want in a new way. You can make it real and rewarding. Just dont make it another corprate 'project'.