The role of projects in your business strategy

- Have you ever stopped to think about why everyone seems to be working on projects these days? I think it's because we live at a time when the world around us is changing really fast. Organizations need to adapt to those changes and projects are the way that organizations change. Projects are how ideas become reality. They're the way that organizations implement strategy. When you look at it that way, what really could be more important to the success and survival of an organization than being good at planning and implementing projects. Businesses, non-profits and government organizations that can plan and execute projects will have a strategic advantage in the marketplace and the professionals with the skills and experience to lead those projects successfully are in high demand. This is true in all industries, in all regions and in all business functions. The change that a project is intended to make is called the scope. The scope refers to what needs to be done and how well it needs to be done. Along with the scope, a project also has a timeline or a schedule. The thing that differentiates a project from a process is that projects always have a defined beginning and a defined ending. And a project has a budget. There's a certain amount of money that the organization is prepared to invest in making the change or delivering the scope. These three elements, the scope, the schedule and the budget are called the triple constraints. And the project manager helps to ensure that the team makes the intended change within the boundaries defined by the triple constraints. There are a lot of things that can get in the way of completing a project. These are called risks. One common risk for projects is complexity. People tend to underestimate just how complicated changes can be. This leads to the law of unintended consequences, where the change you make has results that were not expected. One way to avoid unintended consequences is through effective communications, asking the right questions of the right people before making a decision. There may be people who can predict the outcomes and develop a better plan. Through effective communication, The project manager can help to make sure that the right people are involved and reduce the risk of unintended consequences. There are lots of other risks that can create issues for projects, from weather and natural disasters to changing business priorities and the availability of resources. Managing these risks is an important part of helping to ensure that projects are successful. Whether it's putting in a new information system, changing human resource processes, starting up a new facility, or any of the changes that we're making every day, being good at running projects allows an organization to be agile and adaptable. And that is an essential capability for every business, nonprofit and government organization. So as a project manager, you play a key role in the success of your organization.