How one question can triple your project success: why?

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Start with why.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase before.

Simon Sinek made millions with those three words. He wrote a book that sold millions of copies and started a movement with his Ted Talk - 61M views and counting.

But why are those three words so powerful, and what do they add to project management? More than you think. Let's dive in:

The golden circle: what, how, and why

Have you ever been on a project where everyone knew what to do, and how to do it? One of those teams where everything just clicked?

Feels like magic.

I bet that you and the entire team knew exactly why you were doing that project. Simon explains this with his golden circle:

He argues that most companies, projects & teams reason from the outside in:

1. First, they decide what to do

2. Then they'll figure out how to do it

3. And if you're lucky, there's is a justification for it

What Simon suggests instead, is to turn the order around:

1. First, find out WHY you're doing a project

2. Decide how you'll reach that goal

3. Start executing in small steps

Project management is all about doing things right, but this is useless if you're not doing the right things. And how do you decide what the right thing is? You guessed it: know the why.

How to determine your project's why

Projects are a way for organizations to make a change. They usually exist for one of these two reasons:

1. Capture a new opportunity

2. Solve a problem

When you’re starting a project, this is a great starting point. The next question is seemingly obvious: why?

• Why are we chasing this opportunity?

• Why is this problem worth solving?

Don’t settle for the first answer; really drill down.

Every company wants to do X cheaper, faster, or better. That’s too easy. Why should it be cheaper?

Remember that annoying toddler that asked why at least 5 times, while you thought the first answer was clear enough? Be that kid!

A good why is clear, relatable, and realistic. It connects a project to company strategy and aligns the benefits with the company's overall mission.

A clear why is a flywheel for project success

Motivate your team

When you know the why behind a project, it's much easier to keep a team motivated. No one wants to just do the work, they want to know that their work matters and connects to a bigger picture.

If your team is stuck or fed up with the project, go back to the why and re-align everyone.

Align stakeholders

Stakeholders are crucial to the success of your project. Without their support, you'll have a hard time succeeding. A clear why will help you to get everyone on the same page, define your project benefits and agree on the definition of done.

Decision-making

You'll make thousands of decisions within your project, from small and inconsequential to significant and irreversible. Whether it's a decision in the team within the boundaries of your project plan, or a discussion about resource allocation with your executive sponsor, a clear why will act as a north star for your decision-making.

You'll have something to test every decision and potential outcome against, and you'll be able to explain your decisions to everyone involved.

In conclusion

If you're still not convinced, I have a fun exercise for your next project meeting:

Ask every stakeholder to write the reason for doing the project on a post-it. Put them on the wall, and brace yourself. If you've ever wondered why decision-making has been tough or people disagreed, the writing will literally be on the wall.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the question. It's a simple but powerful concept that will transform the way you manage projects. Don't just do things right, make sure you're doing the right things.

And the best way to do that is to start with why.

Thanks for reading!

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That's it for this week - until next Tuesday!

Cheers,Jasper