Basic concepts of project work

1. Message 11Project work as a work style
Project work as we define it here is not just working in projects. For
working in projects, all other Messages and all Tools may be of some
help; and we have provided six specific tools for viable projects in
the C section of the Tools Chapter.
Cf. Chapter on Tools,
section C
What we are aiming at here is to define project work as a profes-
sional work style, as the way of thinking and tackling almost all as-
pects of work as projects. Every problem, every task, every event,
every agreement taken or promise made, every purposeful co-
operation within or across organisational boundaries can be defined
as a project.
Cf. Tool C1:
SMART – five basic
rules of planning a
feasible project
Cf. Tool A1:
To-do form
As we said presenting the SMART tool, projects are the pursuit of
defined objectives in a defined time span with defined resources.
These co-ordinates of project work (see graph) are applicable to
almost every activity. Several of the simplest tools in this book are
conceived to make this way of thinking easier. The most important
one is Tool A1: To-do form. This basic tool helps defining all
decisions as projects, asking for
• the what, i.e. in this case the aim or aims pursued with the
decision,
• the how, demanding the identification of the way how it is to be
done and the resources needed or available, and
• the when, i.e. the time available or needed for achieving the
defined aims.
• If you take such decisions not only for yourself but together with
others, the tool also asks you for the who will do it or be
responsible for having it done or organising it.
• Finally, the to-do form asks you to check whether the activities
agreed have been completed.
Thus, the tool not only supports you in planning and organising your
own and your community’s work in a practical manner, applied in
the way described here it also fulfils an ongoing evaluation function
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following the classical control cycle of planning, doing, checking and
new planning or doing better (see Message 12). The aim of
evaluation is goal attainment and improvement as well as learning
about how it was done successfully or how to do things better the
next time. Learning in and for work is the hidden agenda of such a
project work style which has to be made a normal and visible part of
everyday work.
Cf. Message 12:
The nature of qual-
ity: continuous im-
provement, con-
tinuous learning
Said in other words, working in this way makes it easier to build up a
capacity and characteristic which is key to co-operation in and
across organisations, it builds reliability or, as we have called it in
Message 6, responsibility. Say what you are going to do and do what
you said you would do. The consistency of words and actions is a
fundamental condition of organisational quality. Of course, it is
always welcomed when you do better than you promised. But
promising more than what is possible to keep will label you soon as
unreliable, deteriorate the common achievements and finally
exclude you from co-operation or bring the co-operation to an end,
at last.
Say what you do.
Do what you say.