The Grand Finale: Relating Project Management to LOST

Mike Jensen is VP of Community Development at Daptiv. Today he gives some valuable advice on what it takes to be a great Project Manager. Get more of his insights and opinions on community, leadership and collaboration by following him on Twitter @mjtwit.

The LOST nation is stunned. The near cult-like revolution that consumed television entertainment throughout the past six years came to an end with the grand finale last Sunday. The show’s intense mystery and complexity drove a devoted following and spurred individual theory about the story’s true meaning.

Mystery drove the show’s success – so much so that the show’s plot was a mystery to the producers themselves. Although LOST was their creation, the producers indicated that they found themselves putting together the pieces as the show gained popularity. From an entertainment perspective, this was a great way to keep fans on the edge of their seats. However, this frustrated the viewers as they yearned for a finale with clarity and definition.

This is actually much like successful project management gone wrong… keeping your employees shrouded in mystery as to a project’s purpose is not going to win you any fans, and it’s not going to inspire great work.

So, what about when a project goes well and you nail it? You have a clear purpose, goals and objectives. You obtain a budget, assemble a team, allocate resources, develop a schedule, execute, adjust, execute more, adjust more… and in the end accomplish your goal.

I know it happens – Daptiv’s PPM customers do it all the time. Businesses around the world get work done and make great things happen – and hit shows such as LOST happen. But what happens when you reach the end? What happens when you meet your goal?

This is quite similar to the feeling you might have when your favorite show of many years comes to an end. Here are my four “R’s” that I think everyone should focus on when they have reached that project “grand finale.”

Recognition: First and foremost, you must recognize your team. Regardless of how big the project may be (a six-year run of a hit TV show or a two-week marketing program), people need recognition. Take the time to celebrate what you and your team have accomplished through teamwork and project collaboration. Many projects fail, so take the “glass half full” mindset and toast to your team’s success.

Reflect: Each piece of your project is like its own episode. It is critical that you reflect on the entire process. What was a success and what failed? Talk through each episode and determine what you might have done differently. Ask yourself if you could have done even better if you made an edit here or there. What contributed to the success of a project? Similar to LOST, the producers had to reflect on the good and bad; the criticism and the compliments. In the end, it was this reflection that made the show so successful and memorable.

Remember: This pertains to applying your reflection to future endeavors. As you reflect, you remember. You recall those all-nighters working on a task, the team camaraderie, the difficult conversations and the feeling of accomplishment. The finale of LOST was filled with flashbacks of characters encountering each other in a “sideways” world. Try to recall those same memorable experiences you had while completing a project. Burn them into your memory so you can leverage them in the future.

Re-Focus: Finally, transitioning from one project to another requires everyone to re-focus. There is a natural let down at the end of something. Team members move on to new projects, new relationships are formed and people work hard to find the “next big thing.” The challenge for many is the expectation to make the next project be just like the last – and for better or worse, that’s likely not be the case.

There is a strong chance that the excitement, joy and community gained from the last project success won’t exist with a new effort. It’s (very) difficult to duplicate a success (hence the failure of movie sequels). For LOST fans, there won’t be another show like it. Fans will find a new show and a new source of entertainment… but it just won’t be the same. However, down the road something will come along that will capture their hearts and minds and capture them once again. Until then, we need to recognize, reflect, remember and re-focus our efforts into our new projects.

As members of the project management community, I’m interested in what you do when you achieve project success and look forward to your comments.