As a consequence, project owners who ignore this source of intelligence create more and bigger gaps. Genuine connection with this readily available external source will uncover gaps earlier and provide a means by which to work proactively with others to bridge and fill them.
Expanding information gathering beyond the project island constructs the first of many bridges. By connecting the project to the operational functions early people are immediately surprised by what they discover. In our experience, we’ve found that gathering external intelligence helps strengthen relationships, build trust, and break down barriers in attitude and conditioned thinking.