Square One: The Human Factor
So you’re at Square One.
It’s the rarified place where projects are incubated and launched. Rarified? Why such a lofty word for a project? The American Heritage Dictionary offers some insight – belonging to or reserved for a small select group or to make thin, less compact, or less dense.
The goal of this Square One series is about opening up [less dense] the possibilities of how to make smarter starts. This series is beginning of my new book -- Square One: The Art of the Smart Start.
Nothing exerts a greater gravitational force or influence over a project than the human factor. Bias, politics, motivation, personal agendas, ego and myriad subconscious hobgoblins are the major elephants in the room.
That’s the good news.
It’s good news because railing against the human factor is like shaking your fist at the rain. One of my favorite writers, Sheldon Kopp wrote a wonderfully insightful book called And End to Innocence – Facing Life Without Illusions.
“In addition to the chance blows to which life subjects everyone else, we add the needless suffering that comes from impossible demands that we be special, and that the world be just and fair.”
So shake hands with the human factor – the joy and the pain of all beginnings.
Smarter beginnings don’t mean easier beginnings. The human factor will determine just how difficult a project will be.
There are two basic questions you can answer that will help you with the handshake with reality. 1) How much leverage do you really have to influence the course of a project? 2) How motivated are you to influence the course of a project?
I have learned the leverage question the hard way. I have had the responsibility of managing a project but with limited authoritity to make key decisions. The answer to this question is critical if you want to successfully handle the human factor.
Reinhold Niebuhr’s prayer is a good start “…accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”
The second question is equally important. How motivated how are you? If you don’t have true leverage how much are you willing to invest in a project?
Here’s a true story about leverage and motivation. A friend of mine told me about an experience he had as a freelancer at a large advertising agency. He was standing next to the president of the agency, watching employees leave at 5 PM -- the official hours of the agency.
The president told my friend, “I wish they’d start acting as stakeholders in this agency.” My friend replied, “If you treated them like stakeholders maybe they would.” (Remember my friend was a freelancer – which means he enjoyed the privilege of not having or needing leverage or approval.)
Recap: You can’t successfully navigate Square One if you don’t know what you can control and what you can’t. Whether or not you’re comfortable (or engaged) in Square One depends on your level of motivation.
Are you ready to shake hands?
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