Hi Reader,
Horses are beautiful, majestic animals, but sitting on one reminds you just how powerful they are. I’ll admit that I’m a tad afraid of them.
When my kids were young, they loved horseback riding, so one day we took them and their friends out for a trail ride. I was given a horse named Betsy. I was nervous, and Betsy moved so slowly that I believed she sensed my fear.
Later, I learned the truth: she wasn’t reacting to me at all. Betsy was simply old. In fact, she was not only the mother but even the grandmother of some of the other horses.
Betsy and I lagged behind everyone else. We were so far back that most of the time it was just the two of us. As it turned out, it was lovely. We rode around a quiet lake, and the peaceful setting made the slow pace feel just right.
Betsy wore blinders the entire ride. She seemed completely uninterested in what anyone else was doing, myself included. She simply kept moving forward at her own pace. Blinders are black cups placed near each eye, that narrow a horse’s field of vision so it focuses only on what is directly ahead.
That is, she only stayed slow and steady until the very end of the trail. When Betsy spotted the barn, everything changed. She suddenly took off like a pony, galloping straight for the barn door with me squealing on top of her.
Blinders in projects
There are many “Betsys” in the project world wearing blinders. People plod along doing their own work, focused only on what’s directly in front of them, rarely looking up to see what others are doing. Some don’t even look up until the very end. And by then, it’s too late.
Just as healthy personal relationships require continuous positive engagement, so do project relationships. Teams need to stay connected, communicating and collaborating with one another throughout the journey.
I’ve talked about this before in my article Come Up For Air, where a demolition project manager, someone whose sole responsibility is to bring big buildings down safely, must constantly stay aware of the bigger picture. If they stay buried in the details, a building could come down the wrong way.
The same is true in other projects. When we keep our blinders on too long, we often discover problems only after things have already gone sideways.
What does it mean to have your blinders on?
It means focusing only on your own work while paying little attention to the overall project. You might even be duplicating work someone else is already doing without realizing it.
It can also lead to silos across teams. That happens when people focus only on their own tasks and forget how their work impacts others. You know you’re in a silo when communication is limited, collaboration is rare, and everyone’s not really on the same page about shared goals.
Remove your blinders
Some signs that you may be wearing blinders include:
- You meet your deadlines, but others miss theirs and you’re not sure why
- Your documentation doesn’t make sense to others
- You’re confused about what others are doing, and why they are doing it
- You feel frustrated in meetings when people don’t understand your work
However, when we take the blinders off, the view changes completely. Communication improves, collaboration increases, and the project moves forward more smoothly.
And when the barn comes into view, it won’t be one horse and rider galloping for the door. It will be the whole team celebrating as they reach the barn together.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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