The road to a successful job is not always clear and easy to navigate, even when detailed planning and preparations have been made.  Each project is a new detailed challenge that can be looked at as an obstacle or a learning experience; perspective is everything. Most of us are caught up in the inertia of life, and don’t want to take the time to create a vision that will move team forward.  The priority should aim for new way of looking at problems that is constructive and motivating.  It is easy to get stuck in the rut of work or a project and lose sight of the original intent or vision; this lack of proper perspective can lead to decisions that are often off target and costly, especially when you are suffering from job fatigue.

The examples here are related to the construction industry, but are somewhat universal in their application.  Before a project begins, it must be conceptualized before it is sent out to bid.  The bidding process is one of the most exciting phases of a project because it is the phase that holds the most hope.  Hope is one of the great motivators that keep energy alive and pushes progress forward.  This phase is especially important, because it is the foundation of a successful vision.  After the bid process, is a sometimes long and drawn out phase of waiting so see if your bid was accepted; this phase can be discouraging and monotonous.  Once a project is contracted then the excitement builds again as the planning phase begins; this phase can make or break a project, however to much focus on planning and not enough on inspiring a vision can lead to project fatigue and loss of profits.

How do you inspire a vision and hold on to it for the duration of a project? 

Like falling in love for the first time, getting an inspiring vision is not to difficult; the difficult part is finding a way to hold onto that vision and see a plan through to the end of a project.  “keep it simple stupid” is a good way to look at plan, even if it is a large and complicated project.  The best plans are easy to remember and execute by all members of your team.  Like the carrot and stick, there needs to be a goal to chase that is simple, comprehensible, and measurable.  If the team buys into a project early with goals that are simple and real, then a plan can be made for success The plan needs to be more like an outline than a doctoral dissertation; overwhelming details can get overly complicated and forgettable.

Many years ago, I started thinking differently about preparing for a job and inspiring a vision for success.  There is no way you can plan on every variable that may occur on a project, so over planning is a wast of time and energy; it has the ability to overwhelm and uninspire your team.  It is always better to be prepared for action by having the willingness and tools to respond quickly to changes.  Making contingency plans for every scenario that comes to mind wastes time on scenarios that probably will not ever happen.  If you plan on specific worst case scenarios, the one that you did not think of will take you down; if you are prepared to react to any and all changes by being mentally prepared, then your team will have the tools available to react to any problems that arise.  It may sound like a subtle difference, but in the planning process it can save valuable time and impart confidence to your team.  Let them know that they can handle anything put before them and that there will be challenges, but with your help and their willingness to work through them, success can always be found in adversity.

The success of a project starts with a solid foundation (the bid), a competent plan (the vision), and a leader (inspiration) to carry the plan out with out causing job fatigue.  Sometimes the greatest knowledge can be simple and straight forward, but the hardest part is being the leader who can inspire.  First, think about what you want to inspire, and then think about how to go about it; a leader should always be able to disarm any situation and bring balance back during chaos.  This is a skill that can be learned but usually is developed over years of practice….and failure.  When a leader is willing to take the responsibility of the team on and carry the weight of a project no matter the outcome, then inspiration will follow.

Most people are shut down by the weight of responsibility when things don’t go as planned and when blame is quickly assigned.  Teams become individuals when the responsibility is directed at one person.  Team members don’t take important risks when they are criticized for making decisions; this kind of environment does not lead to visionary thinking and will cause a job to suffer because it discourages thinking out side the box.  Creative thinking and pushing through adversity, rather than looking for blame will keep the vision alive; there will be time to evaluate decisions and mistakes when the project is finished.  While it is important to identify and isolate mistakes for future visions, it can be a momentum killer during the progress of a project.  Only major team failures need to be addressed and removed during the middle of a project; it is always better to do what it takes to keep your team moving forward towards their goal.

To be a leader in any team, especially in construction you have to learn to fine tune walking the line between firm, calm and aggressive.  It is important to fight for your team while still remaining calm under pressure.  If you have laid the proper foundation and cast an inspiring vision, then you can lead your team to a successful project even when things get tough.