Stuck at Scope
One of the challenges I often see with project managers trying to get their projects off the ground is that they get "stuck at scope."
Getting stuck at scope can happen when:
The project manager has been part of the project's inception. The project may have been their idea, or they were involved in that early concept or the funding proposal.
The project manager is building something they will lead. For example, they may be designing a program or deliverable that they will later lead and manage.
These project managers often have so many great ideas for the project and have dreamt about all the impacts the eventual program will have. While their vision will benefit the program's design, it can also make it hard for the project manager to concisely and clearly articulate a project scope.
A recent project coaching client was managing the development of a program that was her idea. When asked about the project scope, she could give a passionate speech about why the program was so important, with many ideas for how users would interact with the program once it was launched. But my client was struggling to get her colleagues and team on board with a project in any concrete way. Her colleagues didn't know what they could offer or how they could help because they didn't know what needed to be done during the program development project. They could not see the ladder for the clouds.
We drafted a one-sentence scope statement that clearly stated what the project was about - not what the eventual program would do, how it would impact those it would serve, or why the project needed support. The scope statement reflected the project's purpose: to design and develop this particular program.
While we can use big ideas (and those clouds) to initiate buy-in, we need a concrete purpose to keep folks engaged with us throughout a project. When we combined my client's scope with concrete project deliverables, it became much easier for her colleagues to engage with the project.
TLDR: If you're stuck at scope, try writing a clear, concise scope statement.
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