Hi Reader,
Have you ever given a mouse a cookie?
You probably have not. Well, neither have I.
But if you did, you’d quickly find that one small gesture can spiral into a series of unexpected requests, along with some messiness.
Sound familiar? It’s a lot like our project initiatives, where one decision leads to another and each step creates new needs and challenges.
Give a mouse a cookie
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff was one of my kids’ favourite bedtime stories when they were little, featuring wonderfully playful illustrations by Felicia Bond.
If you’re not familiar with it, here’s how it goes:
“If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw.
When he's finished he'll ask for a napkin.
Then he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache.
When he looks in the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim.
So he'll probably ask for a pair of nail scissors.
When he's finished giving himself a trim, he'll want a broom to sweep up.
He'll start sweeping.
He might even get carried away and sweep every room in the house.
He might even end up washing the floors as well!
When he's done, he'll probably want to take a nap.
You'll have to fix up a little box for him with a blanket and a pillow.
He'll crawl in, and make himself comfortable and fluff the pillow a few times.
He'll probably ask you to read him a story.
So you read to him from one of your books, and he'll ask to see the pictures.
When he looks at the pictures, he'll get so excited he'll want to draw one of his own.
He'll ask for paper and crayons.
He'll draw a picture.
When the picture is finished, he'll want to sign his name with a pen.
Then he'll want to hang his picture on your refrigerator.
Which means he'll need scotch tape.
He'll hang up his drawing and stand back to look at it.
Looking at the refrigerator will remind him that he's thirsty.
So…he'll ask you for a glass of milk.
And chances are if he asks you for a glass of milk, he's going to want a cookie to go with it.”
Doesn’t this sound like the way many of our project initiatives go?
End on a sweet note
It might start with a simple request such as being asked to lead one small “thing” and before we know it, the entire project has expanded, with deliverables popping up everywhere and priorities shifting in ways we never expected.
Projects have a way of doing that. They often grow bigger, become more complex, and get messier and more unpredictable than we could have imagined at the start. This is exactly where scope creep likes to sneak in.
As project leaders, our role isn’t to stop requests from coming in. It’s to anticipate them, guide them thoughtfully, and manage them with clear priorities and focus. Don’t forget to use a “parking lot” for lower-priority requests that can be addressed later without disrupting the main flow.
When we do, even the busiest, most chaotic projects can end on a sweet note. Maybe not with a cookie and a glass of milk, but with a real sense of accomplishment and a happy team.
So, are you ready to take on the challenge of giving a mouse a cookie and see where it leads?
|
Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
|
|
How We Can Help
Be sure to add our email address to your contacts to stay updated on all the good PM stuff we’re doing.
Another great way to keep us out of your spam folder is to reply to this message with your favorite emoji!
|
Recent Articles
Random Acts of Kindness: Pass on kindness
Please share with your colleagues!