Hi Reader,
I once knew a demolition project manager whose job was to bring buildings down safely in the middle of busy cities.
This is not the kind of work where you can afford to hit snooze. You have to be sharp.
He used to admit that he would become so absorbed in planning details that he sometimes forgot to check in with his team leads. In demolition, that can lead to real trouble. Picture a crew working on the walls with no idea that the team on the roof is about to begin. No one wants that kind of surprise.
It’s a good reminder that in our detailed planning work, staying connected with your team can make or break the day.
Coming up for air
He would force himself to come up for air from heads-down planning just to make sure everyone was still aligned. If he didn’t, things could go very wrong. Literally.
But how do we avoid this? For those of us who love getting things done, it can be hard to pause and actually look at what’s happening across the project.
Miscommunications, misinterpretations, misunderstandings - there are plenty of “mis-es” waiting to derail a large effort. And they often happen while we’re buried in a document trying to pull everything together.
As I’ve mentioned before, every project comes with its own cast of characters. And they need us to lead them.
In fact, many of them are waiting for us to lead them.
When we keep our heads buried in documentation instead of guiding the team, people will fill the gaps on their own. That can lead to trouble. Like a load-bearing wall coming down before the roof is removed. That's just messy.
It’s a perfect example of why heads up leadership is essential in any initiative.
Take a breath
So the next time you catch yourself buried in a plan, take a breath and come up for air. Look around. Ask the questions. Make sure your cast knows their cues.
Because projects don’t fail from lack of effort…they fail when no one is watching the stage.
Lead your team, stay connected, and keep the building upright until it’s supposed to fall.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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