Many people do not fully understand the true nature of a project.
Everyone uses the term project, but what does it mean, and what isn’t a project?
A project has a start and end date, is temporary and creates something unique.
What is not a project? Something that is ongoing, permanent and has the same or repetitive output.
A Garage Project
Consider cleaning your garage. This project has a start and end date, is temporary (ideally a day or so, depending on how much clutter you have), and has a unique output (your garage has been filled with everything except your car since you moved in).
If your garage needs new shelves with a storage system, it becomes a large project. But if you’re just tidying it up to make space for your car for the winter, it’s a small project.
However, replacing the battery in your garage door opener is not a project. This is part of the day to day operations of owning an automatic garage door.
Tasks Handed Over Like Popcorn
Switching over to the business world, many individuals are handed popcorn tasks by executives and are unclear if these tasks are part of a project, or part of the day to day operations of the business.
An initial assessment can determine whether the tasks are really a project, allowing for proper allocation of budget, time, and staffing. This process can be developed internally by your company’s project managers.
However, in the absence of experienced internal personnel, hiring project management companies like ours is needed. Without a thorough evaluation, popcorn tasks will cost much more long-term than if they had been properly assessed.
Slow Down To Move Fast
Any new initiative, whether it is organizing your garage or deciding on a software tool for your company, needs to be assessed. While executives have the best intentions, it’s our responsibility as project managers to analyze a potential project’s impact on the organization.
I believe in the principle of “slow down to move fast”. Investing time upfront ensures a smooth project outcome, avoiding the need to clean up popcorn bits later.
With 20+ years project management experience, Barbara Kephart has led projects across industries like medical software, clinical trials, and cybersecurity. With experience teaching technical project management and stakeholder engagement, Barbara is dedicated to helping companies pivot, prioritize, and complete projects with Chief Project Officer-level expertise, project professionals, practical training, and hands-on management—without the executive-level price tag.