So before we get into how to plan and run a project and what might go wrong in your project I think
we ought to have a quick look at what is a project and we kind of know one when we see one.
But there are certain things that are indicative that it is a project and the first one is they have
a start in the finish so everything is a project or process and processes just roll on forever and they
never finish.
Something like doing operations in a hospital or making parts in a factory it just rolls on and on forever.
But projects have a start in the finish but there's more to a project than that because there's also
the fact that needs to be a collection of related tasks.
So a one off task has to start to finish but it's not really a project.
A project needs to be a collection of tasks and part of the essence of what makes projects difficult
is that the tasks are interrelated you have to do them in the right order.
So once you've planned the order you can then work back from the finish and work out how you need to
start.
So they need to be a collection of related tasks.
But I also think the real essence of a project is that it's something new it's something that you haven't
done before.
So if you take for example moving houses that a project.
Well for most of us yes it is because we haven't moved house before or we haven't done it for 10 years.
And so we can't remember how to do it anymore from last time.
But if you were in the army and you moved house every year then it would start to become a process and
you would just get the same boxes down from your attic and fold up the same removals company and then
it would have become a process.
So the real essence of a project I think it's something new something that you haven't done before.
And actually that's where the word project comes from.
It's the same as Project which means to throw forward.
So the idea of a project is you're leaping forward into the unknown you're breaking new ground.
So that's the real essence of approach it is something you haven't done before.
And finally I think it needs to be big enough to be difficult.
So if you've got more than one person involved then you definitely need some project management because
you need to know who's doing Waart and the communication between you.
Or if you've got more than 10 tasks then you definitely can't hold them in your head.
Even if it's only you and there's nobody else involved.
If you've got more than 10 tasks it's a project or if the thing's going to take more than say two weeks
then you definitely need it drawn out because as the time unfolds you won't be able to remember what
you're supposed to do when.
So even if it's only three or four tasks if they're spread over more than a couple of weeks then I would
say you need a project plan just to keep a track of what's going on because remember you've probably
got your day job and maybe some other projects as well.
So any of those features will mean that it's a project and it's worth doing a little bit of project
planning.