Last year I had this great idea to landscape my yard and make it a spectacular site to see. My neighbors’ yards simply put ours to shame. So I went to the local lawn and garden store, bought a variety of plants, tools and additional supplies to start the endeavor.
Starting the Project
The first day I worked out in the yard for about eight hours and I could not believe the huge difference that made (this was a Saturday). I pulled weeds, planted a few of the plants and laid some mulch down. On the second day, I thought to myself how much I love to be outdoors but to me hiking, swimming and camping were activities I preferred. I decided to go hiking instead.
The Project Is Starting to Fizzle Out
That week, I had help mowing the lawn and putting the sprinkler on the new plants. I tried to get my daughter to work with me the following weekend, but she was moving at a snail’s pace and I started to get aggravated. So we only put in an hour or two worth of effort.
The Project Died
About a week later, the other plants that I purchased but never planted died so I had to throw them in the yard recycle bin. As I was doing that, one of my very sweet neighbors who knows everything about plants and gardening stopped by and said, “Wow, what you started looks amazing!” I then asked her, why does her yard always look so nice. She replied, “Honey, I am retired. I work in my yard every day and enjoy doing so. I also use plants that are native to Missouri because they withstand our climate changes better.” I then asked how much she would charge me to just make my yard look like hers and she respectfully declined my offer.
Lesson Learned – The Reason Projects Fizzle Out
I thought about this and it relates to Business Initiatives and Projects. Here are the reasons projects simply fizzle out.
1.) If the Project is Not Truly Necessary – It May Fizzle Out
I really did not need a wonderfully landscaped yard. Perhaps my neighbors’ yards look better, but more power to them.
2.) If the Appropriate Resources Are Not Allocated to the Project (Time, People and Money) – It May Fizzle Out
I truly did not understand the time and the resources required to make this project successful. I only allocated myself and I really don’t have a lot of spare time. After speaking to a few landscape companies, I thought I’d rather spend money on other things.
3.) If the Appropriate Expertise ( A Knowledgeable Individual or Team) is not Assigned to the Project – It May Fizzle Out
I am going to admit I am not the best gardener in the world. Obviously I purchased the wrong plants and did not understand the best ways to plant them etc.
4.) If a Detailed Analysis is not done beforehand – It May Fizzle Out
I really did not perform a detailed analysis on my yard determining the size of the project, the scope of the project and any gaps.
5.) If the Project Scope is Too large – It May Fizzle Out
Looking back on this endeavor, I thought to myself, why did I not just start on a smaller portion of the yard? By taking the smaller project on, I may have understood the complexity and size of this project.
6.) If You Don’t Have an Expert on Hand – It May Fizzle Out
If you don’t have an expert’s assistance you could really make some mistakes. Had I consulted someone who was truly familiar with gardening in Missouri before I started the project, I might have understood the magnitude of the undertaking. I also would have purchased the right products for the task.
Moral of the Story
So, the moral to the story is, regardless if it is a garden project, an ERP project or a WMS implementation, make sure you have the need for the project, the appropriate resources, the expertise (whether it is in-house or outsourced), a detailed project plan and a realistic scope before you waste any investments.
