How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 338
rather than sequentially, or simply cut out non-essentials. More
drastic measures can be taken with your project sponsors such
as reducing the scope of the project.
Bringing a Project in on Time
A study by psychologists at Sussex University shows that most
people fail to complete projects on time. There are 3 reasons for
this. First, we always look forward when making plans and
rarely at what happened in similar situations in the past. Second,
we ignore what can go wrong. And third, we concentrate on how
early we would like to complete the project and use that as the
estimated time. It doesn't matter whether the project is a big one
or a small one. For example, the Channel Tunnel came in a year
late and 100% over budget. The Sydney Opera House opened 10
years late and 1300% over budget.
To succeed in any project, large or small, it is essential to meet
your sponsor's requirements on time, cost, and quality. Only by
managing the project efficiently at each stage and using the best
estimating, planning, and scheduling techniques of time
management is this possible.
D/ Non-Doing Work
The Industrial Age from which we are presently emerging had no
time for non-doing work. Work was organised to fill up the time
with as much productive activity as possible. In the Information
Age into which we have now moved, productive work requires
intelligence and creativity. Time to stop and think has become an
essential feature of working.
Let Things Happen
One of the reasons why stress is at record levels in our workplaces is the belief that you must be active all the time for
anything to happen. In fact, the contrary is the case. When you
remove yourself and trust that things will happen as they should,
1216