Keeping the Boat Afloat and Teamwork

Keeping the Boat Afloat and Teamwork
By Kerry Wills

In today’s corporate world most organizations are matrixed in different ways. This means that there are many handoffs and intersection points for most solutions and programs. This adds complexity to programs to ensure that all intersection points are planned for and monitored closely. But the key to success is with people within those matrices to take accountability. It is not enough for one group to say they are “green” but then deliver in such a way that a dependent group can not make their dates. That is like the picture below where one team is reacting to a hole in the boat and other people are saying they are glad it is not on their end….but yet they are in the boat also.

So the key is for all team members to realize that they are on the boat regardless of where the hole is. Imagine how productive everyone would be if this was the case? Project Management would become so much easier….or change altogether since people would be working as a team. For now we’ll keep helping to dump the water out to keep our ships afloat.

Kerry Wills is a proven Program Manager/Portfolio Manager with an extensive background in Project Management, consulting, and application development. Kerry has consistently demonstrated the ability to plan and implement large and complex projects on time and on/under budget. Kerry runs a blog, Adventures in Project Management.