The Power of Project Momentum: Building a Project Wave

Posted by Demetrios Gianniris on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Those who have been fortunate enough to feel the aura of what it is like inside projects that have gone from good to great, are likely to agree to this:

No matter how dramatic the end result, good to great project transformations do not happen in one miraculous step.

There was no single defining action, no one breakthrough innovation, no solitary lucky break, no hidden secret, no wrenching revolution. project wave

Project greatness is systematic and methodical. It's achieved step-by-step, decision-by-decision, action-by-action. Every step builds a foundation for the next step. Every decision is the key that opens the door to the next decision. Every action taken sets the stage for the next action.

A friend of mine who surfs for a hobby once told me that the best waves he's ever surfed were those which sustained enough momentum to allow them to build right through to the shoreline. The closer to the shoreline (call it the finish line) the waves got, the more momentum they established and bigger they became.

In a project, each successful day builds momentum for the next one. These successes add up to sustained and spectacular results. They are the “project wave” that carries the group straight to the finish line.

So before you take on your next project challenge, establish your rules of engagement from the start, and break down your master goal into manageable baby steps. Let your methodology do the hard work. With the completion of each step, your Project Wave of Momentum will begin to carry you ever farther...and take your stakeholders along for the ride to the finish.

To help build the Project Wave, check out our other articles on project management:

Or contact us to learn more about how our project management team can help your firm.