How to achieve (project) goals - Andreas Dudas

How to Achieve (Project) Goals

Many are familiar with the SMART rule: goals should be specific, measurable, accepted, realistic, and time-bound. In project management, this rule has become a "no-brainer," completely taken for granted. Nevertheless, it has been proven that more than 50% of all international projects exceed costs and time by up to 160%! My experience in over 90 international major projects shows that besides SMART, other key factors are much more crucial. Clarifying Personal Motivation Personal values often clash with those of the project. Project managers face ethical dilemmas (developing countries) or work on projects that do not excite them. Those who lead challenging projects without personal enthusiasm or with a guilty conscience are at risk of giving up quickly. Be authentic, review your value system, and inspire yourself 100%. Only Heartfelt Goals Lead to Success Managers often pursue goals set by others. A typical pattern in budget discussions: Lengthy debates, and in the end, the supervisor sets an incomprehensible goal. The excuse is: "We have agreed on some number just to comply with the budget process." There is also a tendency to copy goals of other "successful" people. Follow only goals that truly make sense and drive you internally. A Common Vision for All Stakeholders Conflicts are one of the major challenges. The main reason: Many stakeholders such as authorities, NGOs, or suppliers pursue their own goals (personal gain). Listen, align the goals, and above all, ensure that everyone is fighting for a "higher cause," a vision. For example, instead of "let's finish the construction of the power plant on time," formulate "we provide electricity for 10,000 people to sustainably improve their lives." Such visions have an incredible effect and bring everyone to the table. Focus Leaders do too many things and get scattered. 80% of your personal success lies in focusing on 3 crucial tasks (3 C-rule): Connect, Collaborate, and Communicate. Set Visionary Goals, Not Realistic Ones Never think about what goals are realistic. Enthusiasm brings top performance. As a project manager, you are therefore faced with the challenge of how to ignite and sustain the fire in your team in the long run. Adjust Your Journey, Not the Goal I personally set heartfelt goals, take initiative, and start running. And if I stray off course, I never adjust the goal but always my actions. Perseverance and initiative are the keys to making even the impossible possible. Visualize Goals This is not about drawing mental images and hoping they will be fulfilled one day. Inspire with physical models, plans, or visual presentations so that all participants can truly see what they want to achieve. Pictures speak louder than a thousand words! Avoid Goal Creep Especially large projects suffer from the arbitrary adjustment and expansion of goals over time ("Scope Creep"). As a consequence, you lose credibility, and participants lose their motivation. Overcome one of the biggest barriers: Convince stakeholders, especially in the initial phase, to invest sufficiently in projects to set the framework generously and eliminate unforeseen events. And finally: Complex projects burn out teams. Therefore, break down large goals into smaller sub-goals for long-lasting projects and celebrate every small success.   For Andreas Dudas' profile: https://www.excellente-unternehmer.de/redner/andreas-dudas-global-leadership.html