My work has a higher success rate, and higher quality, when given the following inputs:
Clear, logical objectives
Clear expectations of success and quality
Necessary priority information
This provides me a framework to find solutions, measure success and a means to assign the proper resources for the task. However, I have found that my own side projects often suffer from a lack of all three of the above.
I get the glimmer of an idea and just start running, which leads to
Beginning work without clear objectives or measures of success, leading to
Working furiously on the interesting tidbits that jump out at me, often to the exclusion of more important things in my life, which then
Blow up, requiring me to give up my ill-defined pet project without the necessary planning to be able to pick back up in a meaningful way later.
As such, I need to force myself to make explicit agreements with myself about this (or any new personal project) to ensure success. I am to the point in my life (a professional with a family) that side projects only provide value if they can be properly executed (completed successfully) without sabotaging the little amount of time I have with my wife and daughter. So now I need to figure out objectives, expectations and priority.
Managing a Project Management Blog
My work has a higher success rate, and higher quality, when given the following inputs:
This provides me a framework to find solutions, measure success and a means to assign the proper resources for the task. However, I have found that my own side projects often suffer from a lack of all three of the above.
As such, I need to force myself to make explicit agreements with myself about this (or any new personal project) to ensure success. I am to the point in my life (a professional with a family) that side projects only provide value if they can be properly executed (completed successfully) without sabotaging the little amount of time I have with my wife and daughter. So now I need to figure out objectives, expectations and priority.