3 lessons from 42k

Nov. 12th 2023, 7am

Marathonas, Greece

There I was, standing in front of the Nike (the Winged Victory) statue in Marathonas, ready to run my first marathon.

5 hours later I crossed the finish line at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, after 42,196 km under a warm sun, amongst the encouraging “πάμ, Μπράβο!” of the people along the road and carrying the olive branch a child gave me at the start.I felt a sense of fullfillment, excitement and accomplishment.

‍

Here are 3 project management takeaways I learned from this experience

1. Prep is Everything

Too many projects flop, and a chunk of it is due to lousy preparation. It is like trying to run a marathon without training, training plan, proper gear, adequate nutrition or a coach.

💡Tip: before starting a project, make sure you tick these check boxes:

✔️ Goals are clear

✔️ Scope is defined

✔️ Planning is ready

✔️ Full committment

‍

2. Define the Go-Live plan

The Go-live of each project is like the race day. You need a plan to finish the race succesfully and be flexible in execution. I prepared my race day, having defined the different paces and recovery moments along the race but also adjusted them based on weather and my body condition.

💡Tip: before the project goes live, make sure you tick these check boxes:

✔️ All sequential tasks are planned

✔️ All tasks are assigned to a responsible person

✔️ Check points are defined

✔️ Communication flow is agreed

‍

3. Believe to Succeed

Starts with believing. If I doubt, my project is not going to happen. But belief isn't blind faith; it's rock-solid confidence that your project adds value. Just like my marathon – I believed it would enrich life and put heart and soul into every step. If you don't believe, you won't achieve, be it a marathon or a project.

💡Tip: at any stage of the project, I ask myself two questions:

• How firm do I believe the project is adding value to my organisation?
• What can I do to increase the value this project is adding to my organisation?What do you think? Share your thoughts.

‍

#DareAndGrow | Manage projects like no other

Connect en follow me on Linkedin

‍