A Clear Objective

The  Manhattan Project, the Apollo Program and the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines are all examples of the power of a clear objective.

Setting a clear and comprehensible objective is the single most important factor to deliver success in any program or project no matter the scale.

In a world of inextensible schedules, nothing is as debilitating as an unclear brief or objective. When moving at pace a single, clear objective is a powerful motivator and driver of progress. Objectives can seem self-evident, recorded in project charters and management plans, but this does not mean that they are embedded within the culture of the program or project. Wherever there are large stakeholder groups a clear objective can be like a Rorschach ink blot with each party interpreting it differently according to their own perceptions, priorities, and areas of expertise.

Equally catastrophic is the stakeholder whose preferences and predilections drive a project away from its original purpose and towards a different objective.

Safeguarding the project, its vibrancy and ability to fulfil its objective requires three key steps:

1. Definition
   The program or project objective should be as clearly and simply defined as possible. Kennedy’s 1961 address committing the US to landing a man safely on the moon and returning him to earth before the decade was out is a perfect example.
2. Communication
   A simple comprehensible objective needs to be freely and widely communicated throughout the breadth and depth of the project team. If the objectives and requirements are so arcane as to be understandable only for a select few then chances are the objective is unclear.
3. Stress testing
   Every single plan, decision, action, compromise should be stress tested against the central objective.