Zoom In: Learn Processes to Lead Better Projects

If I had a nickel every time a business executive told someone to move faster, to do more with less, or to choose the easiest route possible...I'd be rich enough to buy those businesses and oust those executives. Which I would do. Gladly.

You might be wondering: Why do they feel everything is so simple? Why do they think everyone is okay with doing things faster or taking the easy way out? Why would they think cutting corners would yield better outcomes? Have they ever?!

Is it that they've never performed those jobs, so they don't appreciate the work it takes to do them? I have a working theory, and it's backed by my 18-year career and all I've seen, read, heard, and lived: Executives vastly underestimate the amount of strategy and effort and critical thought and collaboration and organization and revision and refinement and judgment it takes to do any one thing--especially if it isn't something they've done before, something they never were exposed to, or something they haven't done in a long time.

The Problem

There a whole host of problems I can identify here: short-sightedness, a perceived shift in vision, lack of communication and empathy, a focus on results rather than process or people. Let's walk through each one.

Short-sightedness

Sometimes called "corporate myopia," short-sightedness (in business) captures the limited perspective of executives to focus on quick wins over longer-term, more strategic success. Brands are built on trust. If you cut corners, your customers will know, and they won't appreciate it. If you cut corners today, you risk success tomorrow. And tomorrow's success will be stronger and deeper. So don't get caught up in doing whatever it takes--even unsavory acts or cutting corners--to make a few bucks today if it could compromise the performance and trust that will yield long-term success. Keep your eye on the overarching vision and be strategic about your choices that will help you and your team arrive there.

Which brings us to the next one...

A perceived shift in vision

When executives reach senior positions, they might feel pressured to shift their visualization of success. Since they are no longer being evaluated solely for their own personal level of execution but also for the results of a whole team of people, they start to zoom out. It's perfectly acceptable to zoom out--executives should see and set strategy. But when you set a direction, and then you translate that into a plan, the inability to know what is required to bring that plan to life is a liability. So they might think their shift to a higher-level vision is a good and important change, but not knowing what it takes to do the work anymore is actually hurting them.

They should know the vision, strategy, and plans--but they also need to know what it takes to bring them to life.

Lack of communication and empathy

If they don't know what it takes to bring a plan to life, they're not communicating properly. Understanding resources, capabilities, and processes is required when building a viable plan. Otherwise, how do you know your plan can succeed? Executives need to communicate early and often with their teams to explain the proposed strategy and gain insight from those who would be executing on that strategy to learn how it would be done. This is a two-way street, not a directive. Executives need to get curious and listen rather than barking orders and wondering why revenue is down.

The issue is also a lack of empathy. By not empathizing with their team members, they aren't putting themselves in their team members' shoes and understanding what their days are like. When you tell someone to "write a blog post" or "write some code" or "pull this report," do you know what you're actually asking them to do? The project may be able to be articulated in one phrase, but it takes more than one step to get it done.

A focus on results rather than process or people

Placing pressure on the output rather than connecting with the person is a surefire way to lose buy-in, diminish performance, and deteriorate trust. If all you care about are results, your people will know. You can't just care about the end goal; you have to care about what it takes to get there. And it's all about people. Your people don't want to be viewed as mindless cogs in a machine that are churning out output for your benefit. Executives forget to recognize their team members, to connect with them, and to learn their processes. Neglecting your people is never a wise choice, since all work is driven by, owned by, and elevated by people.

The Solution

Empathy and curiosity go a long way. Senior executives need to put in time to understand all that goes into a project. They need to balance their vision for success today with the brand's loyalty among customers and employees tomorrow. They need to offset their pressure to generate results with genuine care for the people producing them. It's time to zoom in a little bit and learn how the bread gets baked.

Here's an activity to try:

• Take any project and break it down, step by step. If you have a project management system with project plans or logged deliverables, choose one to use for this exercise. If you don't have a project plan for a particular project, this is a fantastic opportunity to create one. I'm going to assume most executives are in the latter group without project plans.

• First, draft the steps you think it takes to get that project done and the amount of time required for each step. Don't use any outside resources--just your own brain.

• Next, collaborate with your team. Ask them the steps that need to be logged. Capture every deliverable--research, edits, handoffs, file name changes, everything.

• Then, ask them how long they need to complete each step. Log their responses without judgment.

• You may even want to foster a bit of dialogue here with your team about what's working well, what could use some optimization, or where they need more resources or support. But that's a bonus step.

• Now compare their list to yours. I bet your list doesn't capture all the steps and assumes far less time than is actually needed by your team.

What can you do with this? Realize that your assignments to "do more with less" or "do this now" or "produce faster" are not helpful. In fact, they're nearly impossible. You're setting your team up for failure, and you're also harming your team culture and your relationship with your team members in the process. Additionally, if you do force your team members to sacrifice quality in the face of quantity or speed, your customers will notice, and they won't appreciate it. Sure sounds like a lose-lose to me.

Understanding what goes into a project isn't just a fluffy exercise; it's a requirement for effective management. When you are pressured from above to do a project in two days, you now have the data to push back and say your team can't do it in two but they can do it in three. If you are being asked what tools your team needs, you'll have a better idea. And if you are being told to optimize processes or execute more quickly, you can choose certain steps from the process to tighten up or cut out, rather than being vague and demeaning by telling your team to just do it faster. (Telling your team to "just" do anything isn't wise, anyway--read why here.)

Then, once you know what a project takes, realign your vision of success. Maybe you can't do that project right now, maybe you need to shorten the process, or maybe you need to say no to something else so you have time to do this instead. Everything has a trade-off; don't make your team members choose between their health and their work when it would be a lot easier for you to choose between two projects to greenlight.

Other considerations

• Clarify your message. The next time you feel compelled to tell your team to "do more with less," first, cut that jargon from your vocabulary. Please. For the sake of all that is good and holy. Then, say what you actually mean. Be clear and concrete. Are you asking people to generate more output with the same input? How do you expect them to do that? It's probably not possible, and this exercise will help you see that. Instead, figure out what your actual goal is (greater output? increased revenue? etc.) and craft a plan that harnesses your team's resources and capabilities toward this new goal. Communicate with your team, empower their authority, and check in to provide strategic support throughout.
  

• Get curious. How does work actually get done? How do your team members feel about it? What does it really take to get a project done, from start to finish? Hold a forum among a project team before starting and facilitate respectful dialogue where people talk about the areas that might take a long time, where they need support, the things they're most excited about, and the parts that seem impossible. Listen. Capture these thoughts and feelings without any agenda or judgment. Let curiosity lead you toward discovery.
  

• Identify your comfort zone and your blind spots. Make a list of the areas you are comfortable with and the areas you don't know much about. For example, I've been working in marketing and PR for over 15 years. I know what it takes to create a thoughtfully written and strategically aligned blog post. I would never sell my team short or pressure them to do something that isn't feasible, because I've been there. I've done exactly what I'm asking them to do, AND I'm the one who trained them on how to do it. I'm naturally going to have a lot more empathy for them than I might if I don't know anything about the task at hand. If I were asked to write up an incentive structure for a sales team, I would have to start from scratch at square one with some unbridled research, because I have no experience there on which to draw. Marketing would go in my column of areas I do know, and sales would go in the area I don't know. Or, to be more specific, content marketing and blog production would go in the column of areas I do know, and sales incentive structure creation would be something I don't know much about. Then, if I am ever asked to do that, I would know the pressure is off--I should ask someone who does know and respect their ability to do their job. Or, if I am asked to oversee someone else doing it, I wouldn't speak out of line but instead would remember to ask them how long the project would take and all that would be involved with it before determining timeline.

• Empathize. Every so often, schedule a one-on-one with a team member and ask them about their work. What projects do they enjoy most? Where do they feel they add the most value? Which areas do they want to improve on? What are some bottlenecks that drive them crazy? What do they wish would just disappear so they could do their jobs more effectively? What's on their wish list for success? How do they feel about doing this work each day? Put yourself in your team members' shoes and earn a newfound appreciation for the job they're doing every day. Don't undersell their effort. Learn and respect everything they pour into their jobs for you every single day.

• Provide context. Sometimes we simply have to get something done quickly. If you do have to start with a timeline and work backwards, be clear with your team that this isn't an ideal process, that you know that's not how it's normally done, but that you sincerely believe they can get this done--and here's how. Be concrete, and be optimistic. Your team may need to see you reorganizing the project in a way that better suits them so they know they can trust you to represent them effectively. They may also want to receive a sense of hope from you. A little context goes a long way.

• Ask for time to research. If the CEO is telling you to do something faster or to gear your team's efforts toward a metric, hopefully you are well-equipped to respond in the moment. But if you aren't, or if this blog post is opening your eyes to the possibility that you might not know all that goes into each project, it's up to you to ask for some time to figure it out. Simply say, "I understand what you're asking for. I'd like to review these terms with my team to make sure they're feasible before I set your expectations." or something like, "I don't want to make a promise my team can't keep, so I'll take this strategy to my team and we'll figure out how to make this work. I want to respect the work they're putting into this effort and I don't think I have all the answers right now, but I will by our call next week." You'll all be better off for it.

Infuse your project management with empathy, curiosity, and respect. Be clear and concrete about a shared path forward. Learn processes and connect with people rather than adding undue pressure to project teams. Good results will follow.

Don't let the pressure of proving results harm your people-driven leadership. Yes, results are important, but people matter more. People are the ones who are driving those results, and they deserve respect. Embrace curiosity and learn the processes that bring your strategy to life. Understanding the steps taken for something to get done will give you a better appreciation of all the hard work your team does every day and will help you represent them more effectively when planning projects. Infuse your project management with empathy, curiosity, and respect to be clear and concrete about the shared path forward. Good results will follow.