The weather was sunny and dry in New Mexico, but the seemingly daily storm clouds were already forming over the mountain peaks to the west. The teenager apprehensively looked up from the map and compass laying on the ground. “Isn’t there an app for this?”
A crew of 10 youth and adults were preparing to take the first steps of a 10-day, 108-mile adventure through the Christo de Sangre mountain range. Our backpacks were maxed out with all we needed for those 10 days, including enough food and water for the first three. We had planned, practiced, adjusted, practiced some more and we were poised to take the first steps. We were really prepared. The old yellow school bus had dropped us at the trailhead and eleven of us were waiting for the “navigating” crew member to choose the correct trail, and direction. Ominously, some call this role the “naviguesser.”
I’ve been honored to have been an adult advisor in this situation three times. In my professional life, every time I’m helping someone start up a project, my mind returns to these initial moments at the trailhead, where the crew is sweating bullets figuring out a) where we are and b) what’s the right path and direction. Truth is, there will be many more of those moments over the days to come.
In these modern days, the adventure and stress can be considered contrived, as we leave our electronic devices behind and solely rely upon a map, a compass and our wiles to figure out where we are and where to go. It’s character building. But the answer to the teenager asking the question above, is: “yes, there is an app for that.”
The obvious best available tool is a GPS, and if we weren’t more interested in building character during these adventures, one would never leave base camp without it. It’s when I’ve hiked these treks that I’ve pondered about projects back at work — and the tools that people willfully use to manage them. Project leaders and members plan, practice, prepare, train, document as much as any trekking crew. So many then embark on their project using the equivalent of map and compass technology. You might know it as Excel, or even something less. Gee, why not use a GPS?
Over time I’ve personally acquired a set of tools and methods that have become that “Project GPS System” for me. They are tried and true, having been applied in multiple project environments over a countless number of projects and programs. They are particularly well designed to do what the crew navigator does — determine where you are in your project and help decide the direction most deserving of your precious energy and attention.
So, if you’re in a position to influence the methods and tools you use to manage projects, don’t put your people into a position of being a “naviguesser.” Unless, that is, your only project objective is to . . . build character.
