Important Ideas to Consider When Working on Projects

Important Ideas to Consider When Working on Projects

Without a doubt, crafting and managing organizational projects until they materialize can be very challenging processes that require following standard parameters and criteria keenly, including skills, methods, budgets, experience, and time schedules. However, according to Pfeffer and Sutton (1), as a project manager, it is sometimes necessary to apply evidence-based practices and evidence when making critical project management decisions, rather than relying on established standards. One concept I have learned from reading Pfeffer and Sutton’s article is that evidence-based management, when applied right, has the ability to disrupt the traditional hierarchical (or top-down approach) authority and established power dynamics, substituting them with data.

Therefore, as part of observing facts, it is important to always observe the following rules when appraising and developing new project/business ideas. Check for ideas that have a cause and effect, with the former coming before the latter. When brainstorming for ideas, it is also imperative to consider that a cause (such as management practices) should precede the effects (such as the outcomes). Another point to consider is that correlation does not often translate to causation. This simply means that a certain phenomenon (like motivation) can be correlated to organizational performance (such as high turnover), but the former does not cause the latter.

In addition, it is always imperative to avoid benchmarking by assuming that an idea that works or does not work for a certain organization will succeed or fail somewhere else. Even though benchmarking is never really a major issue of concern, the problem occurs when project managers apply it casually by taking less time to study what works for others, why it works, as well as whether it can work anywhere else. Furthermore, it is important to suspect and try to avoid breakthroughs and gurus, as well as avoid depending on failure or success stories. Finally, hatching a successful idea must come with the admission of drawbacks and uncertainties. There is no single idea that is flawless and perfect, meaning that as purveyors of new project ideas, it is important to routinely acknowledge the uncertainties and flaws present.

Works Cited

Pfeffer, Jeffrey, and Sutton Robert. “Act on Facts, Not Faith: How Management can Follow Medicine’s Lead and Rely on Evidence, not on Half-Truths.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2006, pp. 1-9.

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Important Ideas to Consider When Working on Projects

Read the article and cite a few ideas that struck you as important to consider when working on projects. Provide two substantive paragraphs about your thought development around a few ideas. Focus your writing on explaining in detail what you think about the ideas that you consider important. Don’t just cite an idea with no thought development. As your manager, I want to know what you think about an idea, not that you can tell me the four-word title with no substantive thought development.