How will I succeed with my Project?

The in/famous Robin Hood case study was again put into use in the discussion of why projects fail. This time around, Robin Hood was very domineering and manipulative. He was a jerk. He did not want to hear the concerns of the others. He is not flexible since he only wants to stick with the meeting agenda. The team, on the other hand, was so angry or pissed off. They were participative at first but they lost motivation to continue to help with the project. The meeting would have been successful if Robin had listened actively and relaxed a little bit. He needed to develop his interpersonal skills, learn how to manage expectations, and be open-minded.

Conflicts like these can be managed if we view each factor objectively. First, for Robin Hood, we described how he handled the meeting. Categorizing descriptions if they point out to the style or content is important so we know where to focus on. In reforming, we should focus on changing the content characteristics first. Some of these characteristics are lack of organization, planning, and agenda. It is important to keep in mind that meetings are just the tip of the iceberg. The project implementation is the most important part of every project. However, to get to that point, meetings should be organized. Leaders should present the agenda so that everyone is on the same page.

Projects fail because there are lack of lack of alternative plans, overconfidence/lack of confidence, goals set were unrealistic, and poor time management to name a few. 85% of projects fail because of missed deadlines, poor quality or functionality, budget overspending, and damaged team morale. In order to be successful in any project, we should all get FAT.

By FAT, we meant Focus, Attention to Quality, and Teamwork. We should focus to our desired goals or objectives. If we want to reach the project implementation day, then all the necessary steps should have been done. As much as possible, do not miss deadlines. The attention given to the quality of the project should be undivided. Quality does not equate to overspending. It is the maximization of the utility you can get from your resources. Proper delegation of tasks and allocation of resources should be prioritized. Lastly, everyone should work as a team. If the leader always wants to do things his or her way, then say outright that he or she has a problem. Always remember to discuss the agenda so that no one is left behind. Lastly, take notes. The historian or the underground leader has the ability to take the power of the leader and put it in the hands of the people who really do care about the project.

Our supposedly Seniors' Project of the student council for the seniors of the School of Social Sciences did not push through mainly because of these factors. First, we always missed deadlines. As the co-head of this supposedly batch project, I missed deadlines for the passing of project proposals. As a result, the modifications that should be made were not done immediately. The project, which should have been implemented on the first week of February was set to the third week of February. However, due to time constraints and the additional load to the seniors because of earlier academic freedom, we were forced to cancel the project to focus on our academics. I was not able to utilize the functions of my team probably because there was not enough incentive for them to attend meetings.