For all the high-level talk of strategy and mission and vision, projects are the substance of a company. Projects are what the company is doing.
I especially like this thought when it comes to R&D. Everyone in R&D is working on a variety of projects, and that – pure and simple – is all that’s happening. Nothing else is magically getting accomplished.
If your company is like mine, R&D is the department responsible for future technology development and for creating the products. Most projects in R&D support those two major thrusts.
Aligning those projects with the company’s strategy is critical. The book “Executing Your Strategy” calls this the “Alignment Imperative.”
I really liked this book and this discussion in particular. It’s so simple and I found it completely accurate from my experience. My efforts – and my coworker’s efforts – are all manifested through projects. Effectiveness therefore boils down to doing the right projects and doing those projects right.
Right? Right. Alright alright alright.